Technology-based programs to promote walking fluency or improve foot-ground contact during walking: two case studies of adults with multiple disabilities.
A shoe sensor that releases music or vibration for each proper step can give adults with multiple disabilities safer, smoother walking within days.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two adults with severe disabilities wore shoes fitted with optic sensors.
Each correct step triggered a short burst of their favorite music or vibration.
The researchers turned the system on and off in an ABAB design to be sure the shoes caused the change.
What they found
When the sensor feed was on, both adults took almost no breaks and hit the ground correctly about 80 percent of the time.
Those gains vanished as soon as the sensors were turned off, then returned when the system came back.
How this fits with other research
Stasolla et al. (2017) ran the same shoe-switch idea with two girls and saw more steps and smiling, showing the trick works for kids too.
Austin et al. (2015) used a waist sensor instead of a shoe sensor to keep adults upright; both studies prove body-worn tech can shape big motor skills.
Wilder et al. (2022) also hid hardware in shoes, but they used rough inserts to stop toe walking in preschoolers with autism.
The two shoe studies look opposite—one adds feedback, one changes texture—yet both fix gait problems, so the shoe is just a handy platform.
Why it matters
If you serve adults who shuffle, freeze, or land poorly, you can tape a $30 optic sensor to the heel and let preferred stimulation do the coaching.
No staff need to hover, and the prompt stops the moment the foot hits right, giving instant, effortless differential reinforcement.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
These two case studies assessed technology-based programs for promoting walking fluency and improving foot-ground contact during walking with a man and a woman with multiple disabilities, respectively. The man showed breaks during walking and the woman presented with toe walking. The technology used in the studies included a microprocessor with specific software, an MP3 with the recordings of preferred stimulus items, and optic sensors. Both studies were carried out according to an ABAB design. In Study I, the optic sensors were activated when the man crossed small marks distributed along the travel routes. At each sensor's activation, the man received a brief period of preferred stimulation. In Study II, the woman received preferred stimulation when the sensors at the toe and the heel of her shoes were activated in close time proximity. The man walked virtually without breaks and improved his mood (with an increase in indices of happiness) during the intervention phases of the study. The woman largely increased her percentages of steps with adequate foot-ground contact, which reached a mean of about 80 during the second intervention phase. The results were discussed in terms of rehabilitation implications and technology demands.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.08.029