36^th Annual MADDAK AWARDS
2010 AOTA Conference
Orlando, Fl
April 30, 2010

Winners of the 36^th Annual Maddak Awards Competition for Product Design were announced at an awards breakfast sponsored by Mr. Kurt Landsberger, CEO, Maddak Inc. during the AOTA meeting in Orlando, Fl. Six individual winners were selected by a panel of judges chosen by the AOTA. Entries were categorized as Professional or Student.

Professional

1st Place - Zubin Shirodkar, Senior Pediatric OT, NYS Dept. of Health - Early Intervention – The Writing Rascal

Pencil grip designed to address the difficulties some children experience in forming a dynamic tripod grasp, which is the most stable grasp for precision and proper pen pressure during writing. The Writing Rascal properly positions the thumb and forefingers by comfortably separating the precision side (thumb, index and middle fingers) from the power side (ring and little fingers) of the hand. It places the precision side of the hand into a dynamic tripod grasp, while simultaneously ensuring that the power side of the hand stays in a flexed and quieter position so as to provide a stable base of support from which the tripod can move. Grip features a fun face that motivates use by children and helps maintain their interest in writing.

2nd Place - Amy Mahle, COTA/L, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences – Reacher Attachment/Stove Knob Assist

Handy device easily clips on to most reachers and enables the user to safely turn on and off the back knobs on a stove. The sturdy, lightweight attachment has rubber grips to securely grasp the controls.

3rd Place - Amber Ward, OTR/L, ATP, Carolinas Neuromuscular ALS-MDA Center – The "Toetroller"

Designed to enable the user to change the channels or adjust the volume on a TV, VCR or DVD remote control with the big toe versus a hand/finger. It fits onto the big toe of either foot and features a gutter splint for the big toe with a strap to keep it in place and a pointer, attached to the splint at a 90 degree angle, for pressing the buttons.

Student

1st Place - Nicole Nogueras, University of Saint Augustine – One-Handed Necklace Aid

Assistive device to aid clients with unilateral use of an upper extremity independently fasten a necklace. The device allows for stabilization of one end of the necklace while the individual uses their non-involved upper extremity to bring the unsecured piece of necklace around the neck and clasp it onto the stabilized end of the chain.

2nd Place - Alyssa Fernandez, Nova Southeastern University – "Building Me"

Multi-functional game that can be used to work on skills such as body awareness, left/right discrimination, sequencing and organization. It consists of a double sided mat; one side contains an outline of a person; the other side has the outline of the person and puzzle pieces, as well as numbers that correspond to matching puzzle pieces. There are 6 body part pieces: head/neck, 2 arms, 2 legs and a torso. The body parts attach to the outline on the mat using hook-and-loop strips to form a body that is ready to be dressed. The game contains 2 shirts, a pair of jeans, a skirt, a dress, a pair of socks and a pair of shoes. After the child finishes putting all of the body parts together and dressing the person, they can then use their fine motor skills to draw a face and hair with a dry erase marker. Lastly, the client can use a name card piece to personalize the person with their name or the name of a friend. Additionally, there are 2 sets of cards - 1 for body parts and 1 for articles of clothing - to provide visual clues if the client is unable to follow verbal instructions. Use of the cards can also be used to work on skills such as turn taking, visual memory and pronation/supination of the forearm.

3nd Place - Maritza Vasquez, University of Saint Augustine – Easy Sewer

Designed to allow people with arthritis or dexterity problems to continue enjoying the activity of hand sewing without experiencing any pain. Oversized clip is covered with a soft fabric that is padded for a comfortable grasp. A rubber grip at the end securely holds the needle in place during use. The needle can be released by applying minimal pressure to the handles.