Even though nearly no one here in South Africa has actual love for Nintendo and other journalists might skip this article because “it aint good enough, it won’t get hits, bla blaaa” I am doing it! Wii Fit finally has a purpose other than getting overweight and lazy kids off their butts, I for one say onward Wii Fit!
Research shows that using the Wii Fit could be beneficial for children with movement difficulties, and they said video games were evil! Despite the fact that they are awesome and raise money for disaster reliefs all over the world and now HELP SICK CHILDREN. What a messed up world we live in eh?
The pilot study, led by Professor Elisabeth Hill from the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths and Dr Dido Green from Oxford Brookes with Dr Ian Male of West Sussex PCT, indicated that using balance games on the Wii Fit regularly have a positive impact on motor skills and even social and emotional behaviour of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
Professor Elisabeth Hill believes that the study provided evidence to support the use of Wii Fit in therapeutic programmes for children with movement difficulties like DCD. Here’s what the smart people had to say in a press release:
The results provide interesting points warranting further discussion, particularly in view of the fact that many children have access to the Nintendo Wii Fit and may be using this system at home with minimal supervision. This simple, popular intervention represents a plausible method to support children’s motor and psychosocial development,” Hill said.
Dr Male commented: “Children with DCD experience poor motor and psychosocial outcomes. Interventions are often limited within the health care system, and little is known about how technology might be used within schools or homes to promote the motor skills and/or psychosocial development of these children.
Dr Green (This isn’t me! I promise.) added: “These preliminary results highlight the need for further research to inform across these and other questions regarding the implementation of virtual reality technologies in therapeutic services for children with movement difficulties.
Last Updated: January 15, 2013
