A Community of Practice in Action
Over the school year, students worked closely with health professionals, engineers, caregivers, and mentors to come up with real-world healthcare solutions. KidsAbility gave them a hands-on environment to test and improve their ideas. Occupational therapy students spent eight weeks working in four different KidsAbility programs to better understand what families need, while regular meetings with engineering students helped combine clinical knowledge with technical design.
From Ideas to Impact: The Journey to Cooking Quest
After exploring multiple design directions, the team landed on a concept that resonated with everyone: Cooking Quest. This digital app turns cooking into a story-driven adventure, helping children practice essential fine motor skills—like cutting, pouring, and pinching—through interactive play. Features like progress tracking, unlockable characters, and shareable achievements help children build confidence while allowing parents and therapists to monitor development.
The final product reflects the course’s goal of turning ideas into market-ready solutions. Engineering students developed a high-quality prototype, while occupational therapy students crafted a business plan to support future implementation.
Clinical-Academic Partnership
This collaboration not only enhanced student learning but also demonstrated how KidsAbility partners with academic institutions to shape the next generation of healthcare and design professionals.
We’re stepping into an exciting phase of exploration—looking at what it might take to bring the app to life and imagining how it could make a difference in real-world settings. Stay connected and follow our social channels for updates as this exciting project continues to grow!
From L-R: Student Occupational Therapists – Michelle Thomas, Cynthia Lennon (KidsAbility), Aimee Beaupre, Isabella Malatsta, Briano DiRezze (Associate Professor, McMaster)
Prototype designed by Masters of Engineering Design students: Jackson Kruze, Alberto Titla Juarez, and Edward Kurtz
