Our Blog
Best Adaptive Utensils for Cerebral Palsy: A Complete Guide in 2026
Cerebral palsy affects roughly 1 in 345 children in the U.S., and for many, hand function challenges start well before self-feeding skills develop. Learn what occupational therapists actually look for in adaptive utensils — and why object orientation matters more than grip strength alone.
Adaptive Equipment for Students with Disabilities: A Guide by Diagnosis and Daily Need
Adaptive equipment for students with disabilities works best when matched to the student’s specific diagnosis and daily tasks, not a one-size-fits-all approach. This guide breaks down what to look for when choosing tools for cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and fine motor delays, from the classroom to lunchtime to art class.
Accessible Wellness Guide with Tips, and Education on the Importance of Supporting Healthy Independence and Daily Routines with the functionalhand®
Celebrating 35 Years of the ADA with strategies, stories, and affordable tools that promote well-being, health, and a culture of inclusion. Honoring the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Importance of Accessible Wellness July 26, 2025 marked the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—a milestone in accessibility, inclusion, and equal opportunity. Signed…
Adaptive Summer Activities: Making Recreation Accessible for All Abilities with the functionalhand®
Summer Fun Shouldn’t Have Limits! Summer is nature’s invitation to explore, create, and play. It’s a time when families venture outdoors, children engage in camp activities, and communities come together in parks and recreational spaces. But for people with hand disabilities, weak grip strength, or limited dexterity, many traditional summer activities can feel out of…
Support Literacy with Assistive Technology for Writing Disabilities
Every child deserves to express their thoughts, dreams, and ideas through writing. But for students with writing disabilities, the simple act of holding a pencil can feel like an insurmountable barrier to literacy. As occupational and physical therapists with over 35 years of experience each, we’ve witnessed countless moments when the right assistive device for…
Best ADL Grip Tools for Seniors with Hand and Wrist Weakness from Parkinson’s, Essential Tremors, and Hand Arthritis
May is a special time to honor our older Americans and raise awareness about conditions affecting their quality of life. To celebrate Older Americans Month and Arthritis Awareness Month, we want to create a resource that helps seniors with ways to maintain their independence and dignity, especially those with hand mobility challenges, limited grip strength,…
Best Adaptive Equipment & Teaching Tools for Students with Disabilities
The functionalhand® is an adaptive assistive device designed by occupational and physical therapists to help students with weak grip, fine motor deficits, and hand disabilities fully participate in classroom activities. Unlike traditional universal cuffs, it holds writing tools, styluses, and art supplies in both orientations — supporting inclusion for students with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and other hand disabilities.
How the functionalhand® ADL Universal Cuff Transforms Lives for People with a Weak Grip
As occupational and physical therapists, we focus on enabling individuals to maintain their independence in what we call Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and functional skills. These are the essential self-care tasks everyone needs to perform each day – from eating and drinking to personal hygiene and dressing. When hand function becomes challenging, basic self-care…
Promoting inclusion, kindness and understanding through “All Abilities Fair”
“Necessity the Mother of Invention” Charlotte has a rare genetic disease called DDX3X, discovered in 2014 which impacts only 900 children worldwide. She has been in therapy since she was 10 months to improve motor and language skills. Karen Wickman, Charlotte’s mother and a teacher, realized that lack of exposure to individuals with a disability caused…
Inclusive play with the functionalhand®
Fun, flexible and functional is our tagline. The functionalhand® can be used for a variety of purposes. It allows individuals to complete many activities of daily living including grooming, cooking, gardening and so much more. Allowing individuals of all ages to have “fun” and bring enjoyment is where the concept originated. Let’s look at how…
The functionalhand® supports your child’s learning!
For children who have difficulty with muscle tone, movement and motor skills, they may lack the hand control to hold writing utensils. This may impact their ability to complete academic skills at the level they are capable of. Participation in learning is made easier with the functionalhand®. It reduces fine motor demands allowing your child to…
Craft time!
Have fun with your child and the functionalhand®. Don’t let the motor demands limit your child’s opportunity to participate. Paint! Any size paintbrush fits into the functionalhand. Whether it’s skinny or wide, it securely fits into the cord. The cord pulls tight to accommodate any size and securely holds the paintbrush in position. You simply insert, pull…
Having fun with the functionalhand®!
The functionalhand® complements many commercially available toys. What makes it unique? When compared to other universal cuffs, it accommodates all shapes and sizes. Simply open the cord, insert the tool, cinch the strap tightly and go! Many children with motor difficulties, hold their marker or paintbrush by turning the thumb side of their hand downward in what…
Using a tray as a base of support for the functional hand.
As therapists who developed the functionalhand®, our goal was to help individuals with grasp difficulties hold objects and participate in many activities. If the shoulder and arm that the hand is attached to is moving around or having trouble maintaining their position, the ability to use your eyes and hands together and direct the movement is…