Motor Control Outcomes Following Nintendo Wii Use by a Child With Down Syndrome

In Brief Purpose: The purpose of this work was to examine motor outcomes following an 8-week intervention period of family-supported Nintendo Wii use by a child with a diagnosis of Down syndrome (DS). Summary of Key Points: A 12-year-old child with a diagnosis of DS and with limited Wii exposure was asked to play Wii games in the home 4 times each week for 20 minutes each session for 8 weeks. Family members were encouraged to participate. The participant chose what games to play and selected 4 different games. Repeatedly practicing the skills involved in these games resulted in improvements in the child's postural stability, limits of stability, and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd edition balance, upper-limb coordination, manual dexterity, and running speed and agility standard scores. Conclusions: Wii game use by a child with DS may elicit improvements in highly practiced motor skills and postural control. The authors describe an intervention that allowed a child with DS to choose and play Wii games over a period of 8 weeks. Improvements in tests of postural balance were seen after this intervention period.