Hand Grasps and Manipulation Skills : Clinical Perspective of Development and Function

Sandra J. Edwards, MA, OTR, FAOTA received her bachelor of science from the University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida) in Occupational Therapy, and her master of arts from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Michigan) in Special Education. She taught for 32 years, graduate and undergraduate courses at Western Michigan University, and received the College of Health and Human Services Teaching Excellence Award. Professor Edwards was promoted to Full Professor in 2001 after receiving outstanding reviews in teaching, research, and service at Western Michigan University. Some of her other awards include Fellow of American Occupational Therapy Association, and 2016 Outstanding Alumni from University of Florida. In 2017, the University of Florida created the Sandra Edwards Colloquium in honor of her career. Professor Edwards has peer reviewed publications in the major national and international journals of her profession. She has presented at over 40 international and national conferences, and has been invited to present workshops at universities and conferences primarily in pediatrics and children’s hand function. Her collaborative research includes assessing children’s eye-hand coordination using the haptic robot with computer and electrical engineers. She has coauthored several chapters including “Hand Function in the Down Syndrome Population” in Hand Function and the Child: Foundations for Remediation (1995). Professor Edwards was coauthor of the previous edition of this book, Developmental and Functional Hand Grasps, in 2002.

Donna B. Gallen, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist working with school aged children near St. Louis, Missouri. She received her bachelor of science in Social Work from the University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio), and worked with individuals with disabilities before getting her master of science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University. She coauthored the previous edition of this book, Developmental and Functional Hand Grasps, in 2002. She presented at the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress in Stockholm, Sweden in 2002. She coauthored the chapter “Hand Development” in Foundations of Pediatric Practice for the Occupational Therapy Assistant in 2005 and 2017.

Jenna D. McCoy-Powlen, MS, OTR/L, BSN, RN is a private contractor working in early intervention in Zionsville, Indiana. She received her bachelor of science in Nursing from Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana) and a master of science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University. She coauthored the chapter “Hand Development” in Foundations of Pediatric Practice for the Occupational Therapy Assistant in 2005 and 2017. She also coauthored the previous edition of this book, Developmental and Functional Hand Grasps, in 2002.

Michelle A. Suarez, OTR/L, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Western Michigan University. She received her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Michigan), and her PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Science from Western Michigan University. In her role as professor, she teaches the pediatric content to Master level occupational therapy students, co-coordinates the clinic where students complete their level I placements, is a member of an autism diagnostic evaluation team, and conducts research in pediatric practice. Michelle has published peer reviewed research in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, International Journal of School Health, Autism, and Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. In addition, she has written several book chapters for the text book Conditions in Occupational Therapy: Effect on Occupational Performance (2017). She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association.