About Judy C. Colditz, OT/L, CHT, FAOTA

With more than 35 years of experience, Ms. Colditz has a special interest in anatomy and biomechanics of the hand, the finger and the thumb, treating stiffness of the hand, splinting for beginners and experienced therapists and clinical reasoning. As a master clinician, popular teacher, and expert splintmaker, Ms. Colditz has a passion for teaching others. Her HandLab DVD/CD Self-Study Modules and classroom courses are known to challenge the participants' understanding of the hand while providing valuable hands-on experiences to learn innovative, thought-provoking techniques that are immediately applicable in the clinic.

Ms. Colditz is known as an intuitive and innovative teacher. In 2006 she was awarded the 30th annual Dorothy B. Kaufmann Lectureship Award from The Hand Rehabilitation Foundation in Philadelphia, as the first therapist awarded this lectureship. In 2001 she was recognized as an Honored Senior Professor at the Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand meeting in Philadelphia. At the 1999 American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) Annual Meeting, Ms. Colditz received the Nathalie Barr Lectureship and has been awarded the Best Clinical Paper Award by ASHT three times. She became a fellow in the American Occupational Therapy Association in 1996. Her broad knowledge in the specialty of hand therapy has allowed her to share clinical knowledge all over the world. She has taught workshops and lectured throughout the United States, Canada, and 26 countries worldwide. She is an honorary member of the Argentina, New Zealand, French and Venezuela Hand Therapy societies.

From 1982 to 1997, Ms. Colditz owned and managed the largest privately owned therapy practice in North Carolina, which included hand therapy, physical therapy, and work hardening. In 1997, Ms. Colditz established HandLab with the goal of enhancing the education of hand therapists by offering innovative hands-on courses. In 2007, HandLab's first DVD/CD learning module was introduced for home study and continuing education credit. Additionally, Ms. Colditz continues providing consulting services to other practices and organizations. Currently HandLab also offers exclusive clinical products not readily available elsewhere.

Ms. Colditz has written numerous articles and chapters on hand splinting and therapy for Rehabilitation of the Hand and the Journal of Hand Therapy. In addition to the HandLab DVD/CD Self-Study Modules currently available, she has also co-authored the novel CD-ROM: The Interactive Hand - Therapist's Edition, which provides clinical information in relation to a three-dimensional anatomy model. As a companion to the CD-ROM, Ms. Colditz authored a home study guide published by the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Leadership positions held by Ms. Colditz include president of both the International Federation of Societies of Hand Therapists and the American Society of Hand Therapists. She was also instrumental in the passage of the licensure bill in the state of North Carolina and served 8 years on the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy and 4 years as its chair.