I found out about Dot the Dog when I was researching Tic-Tac-Tony (another post for another day.) I believe it was Playskool's answer to Fisher Prices' popular puppy. Both are wonderful for autistic kids for various reasons.
Dot the Dog was made in 1995, and I was lucky to find her on my Thrift Store shelf today. Not only was she marked at 3.50, but she was tagged in green, which was half price this week! A real bargain at 1.75! I've seen her on ebay for upwards of $15-$20, but who knows what she really goes for.
And back in 1995, Playskool was doing it's "Ages & Stages" thing, which, as I read through the instructions (yes! it had the original instructions in the package!), really helped me out a lot.
Dot is designed with a series of dots on her body. When you pull down on her tail (Wag her tail), the pattern of dots (and fleas) changes. On the back of her body hangs a series of cards (ingenious storage spot) which depict each possible pattern of dots and fleas. Each pattern has a name, which is hidden behind the plastic dog tag hanging around Dot's neck.
So Stage 1 of play is simply to match the fleas. You turn all of the cards face down, wag her tail, and have your Little One turn over a card. If the flea size and colour matches, they get to keep the card and try again. If not, it's the next person's turn, until all the cards are exhausted.
Stage 2 of play is to match the colour (and eventually the words) on the dog tags around Dot's neck. It's similar in play to Stage 1 in that the cards are put face down and the tail is wagged, but this time you are looking to match the color of the tag. Cards are turned over until a match is made, and then the tail is wagged to change it up and the play continues. This is also memory oriented as you'll want to try to remember where the red tag card is for when it comes up, for example.
Stage 3 involves matching the dot and flea patterns. The cards are all placed face up on the table, the dog tag is closed, and the tail is wagged. Each player takes a turn, examining all of the cards to find the one that matches the dot and flea pattern. When a match is made, the dog tag is opened to check if the player is correct (this is, of course, self corrected privately until it's confirmed to be right so the other players don't get a peek ... in case they were wrong the answer isn't blabbed to everyone.) As this gets easier, you can alter it so that every player is racing to find the right card.
So for Dew1 especially, this game has a lot of great aspects. As far as OT goes, the wagging of the tail is great fine motor skills. Matching and memory work is what this game is all about. It will work in with his ABLLS work nicely, as well as just working on his observation skills. Not to mention manding. But ultimately, games are great for learning about turn taking, following rules, behaviours regarding sitting at a table for a period of time, and winning and losing. Plus, both Dews love to match and love dogs, so this is right up their alley.
So keep an eye out for Dot the Dog by Playskool. It's a keeper!
(and yes, I stole the pictures from Ebay. I'm feeling a bit rushed today.)
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