Daniel Amador

LEI 4724
Activity: WiiHab
Sources: Baida, A. (2009, April 2). Wii-habilitation helps fight autism. SunSentinel.
Medical College of Georgia. (2008, April 7). Occupational Therapists Use Wii For Parkinson's
Study. ScienceDaily
Activity Description:
1. This activity can be used with a single client or as a group activity split into teams. The
Nintendo Wii can be played in multi-player use or single player.
2. WiiHab as its commonly nicknamed requires two pieces of equipment one of which can be
found in almost any building, a TV. The other is a Nintendo Wii that includes one controller, but
can add controllers so four players can play at a time. The Nintendo Wii is a wireless interactive
video game system that allows players to play games by mirroring there body movement. Unlike
other systems that require button memorization, players can play games by throwing, jumping,
and even dancing.
3. The Nintendo Wii features games of various movements and hearing such as bowling,
football, Just Dance (a dancing hand-eye coordination game), and Tennis which targets balance
and fine motor skills. As the leader begin by stating your name and giving a demonstration of
how to use the controler and how close or far the participants have to stay from the sensor.
Whether the session be with a group or with a single participant, the facilitator must stay active
and close to the activity in order to guide clients through each game and adjust the level of
difficulty as he or she sees necessary. Facilitator must provide verbal as well as visual
instruction. Since the games require many ranges of motion it is not uncommon that a participant
swing the controller in the vicinity of other players. This could cause participants to run into one
another and potentially cause injury. Therefore, the facilitator must make sure that each client has
sufficient space from one another to play.
Leadership Considerations:
1. When dealing with autistic clients, constantly encouraging them and providing direction is
often effective, as majority of autistic clients struggle with verbal communication. Providing
verbal instruction will force the client to listen while playing the game therefor improving verbal
communication and multi-tasking ability. In order to provide additional confidence, the
facilitator may jump in the game with the participant of participants and allow them to win the
game.
2. WiiHab has also been found to be effective with patients who are diagnosed with Parkinsons.
Playing these Wii games have been found to stimulate the central nervous system, improve fine
motor skills, alleviate depression, and increase overall energy levels. Study has shown that
clients often purchase the system to play at home therefor furthering the therapy beyond a
controlled watched environment.
3. Discussion Questions: How did patients react to losing to one another? Was a loss followed by
discouragement or did the client react positively by eagerly wanting to play again?