functionalhand® mini – Adaptive Tool for Children with Small Hands
Introducing the functionalhand® mini ®, a preschool version of our original adaptive hand support-designed to help children with small hands who struggle with grasping everyday tools. This innovative assistive device is ideal for kids with fine motor challenges, developmental delays, or disabilities that impact hand function. Whether it holds a crayon, paintbrush, fork, or classroom device, the functionalhand® mini helps bridge the gap to independence:
- Develop Fine Motor Skills: Perfect for early learners, supporting handwriting, drawing, and play activities.
- Child-Friendly Grip Aid: Designed for toddlers and preschoolers with small hands to encourage proper grasp and wrist positioning.
- Versatile Use for Everyday Tools: Helps children hold crayons, pencils, paintbrushes, forks, and classroom devices comfortably.
- Supports Children with Fine Motor Challenges: Ideal for children with developmental delays, disabilities, or difficulties in hand function.
- Promotes Independence: Encourages self-feeding, classroom participation, and independent play.
- Trusted by Occupational & Physical Therapists: Recommended for therapeutic use and early childhood education.
Perfect for parents, occupational therapists, and educators, the functionalhand®, is more than just a grip aid—it’s a pathway to inclusion, confidence, and early learning
success.
The cord that secures the tool in the base is shockcord. It is a marine grade bungee cord with industrial level strength, stretch and longevity. It allows for long lasting resistance when exposed to heat and water. The inner strands hold a consistent 100% stretch, so the elasticity is meant to last. The base of the tool is made of a polylactic acid filament using premium Natureworks bi-polymer derived from corn – not petroleum products. It is a semicrystalline resin that has high mechanical properties suited for many general purposes. All materials are safe for children and adults.
We recommend cleaning the functionalhand® mini with soap and water. It is dishwasher safe to wash and dry at high temperatures in your dishwasher utensil basket. It can result in the color of your tool being less vibrant.
Celine, a physical therapist, and Linda, an occupational therapist, have worked with clients who have motor impairments for many years.
Their training focused on improving postural control and increasing function to allow individuals to be as independent as possible. Linda would fabricate individual tools which allowed clients with grasp deficits to do fun, functional activities.
Every activity required a new molded tool so that clients could paint, color, eat, write, access their phone or computer. When markers were of different sizes, a mold had to be made for each. There was no one commercially available product that could hold many different items, securely.
Seeing the need to make grasp opportunities available to as many persons as possible, they brainstormed options, pooled intellectual and financial resources, and created the functionalhand® mini, a truly universal product supporting grasp for small hands!
