Wondering about Wii and Therapy?

A concern that often pops up during discussions about Wii and therapy is that the Wii is a passing trend for therapy. That idea may have been a possible concern initially, but after four to five years of use, research, and development Wii and newer video platforms have secured a place in treatment with many patient populations. Take a moment to read Do You Wii-Hab? Using Motion Gaming in Your Therapy Clinic . This great post by CHARLOTTE BOHNETT on WebPT.com highlights many uses for Wii in the clinic while also providing a brief comparison of Wii with Kinect for Xbox 360. Conversation among some researchers and developers of rehab software for both Wii and Kinect for Xbox 360 often gravitate to which system is best. My experience suggests that both systems offer benefits and a skilled therapist can use either system to achieve goals in their setting. An ongoing discussion among members of the WiiHab group on LinkedIn discuss some of the positive and negative aspects of each system. One frequently criticized aspect of Wii is the need for a hand held device or controller. Kinect for Xbox 360 does not require the player to hold a device. But critics of the Kinect system point out the need for a larger playing field. This aspect of the Kinect system sometimes makes using it difficult in certain clinic settings. Melissa from Chicago points out in this LinkedIn discussion that unlike the Wii system, the Kinect system is difficult to modify for some disabilities and furthermore, if a patient requires assistance to stand, the Kinect system will sometimes confuse the therapist holding the gate belt with the actual player.