Stylus Writing Aid
Description of Market Need:
The number of children who require occupational therapists to aid in handwriting development sharply increased in recent years. As of 2017, 42% of children, aged 0-8 years, owned their own touch screen device. While a direct causal relationship has yet to be established, this technological trend has potential to fix this new developmental issue. Touchscreen technologies are commonplace in homes and schools, and a stylus that helps fix children’s writing ability has great potential to be widely adopted.
Description of Approach:
To help children learn the recommended “Functional and Efficient” pencil grasps, two grip designs were developed as a result of research, prototyping, and classroom testing. The first makes the most highly recommended grasps comfortable, while making improper grasps difficult. The second design is for later stages of development, where children will reliably try to use the correct grasps and require a less bulky grip.