“I'll leave that part as it is.”
Stop first: Stop the added offer immediately for a known no/stop, discomfort, withdrawal of interest or uncertainty. Keep ordinary care and usual supports available; no repeated signal, clearer reply or restart is owed.
Setup and free swap: Start with current comfortable exploration of an existing suitable item. If the child is attending to a feature, keep its availability; do not substitute a new toy because the adult planned one. With no item, preserve the currently welcomed quiet interaction rather than adding a display.
Common agreement for every route
Use an awake, comfortable, wanted moment in the child's usual supported setting with a familiar caring adult. Keep the child's body and usual communication/supports as they are. Do not manufacture distress, withhold a comfort item or necessary help, reposition the child, guide their body, demand eye contact, lure reaching/tracking, test hearing, or ask for touch/speech/imitating to make the offer work.
An optional object is one existing large, intact, familiar, non-powered play item already judged appropriate for this individual child and setting under its actual instructions, age labelling, condition and current recall information. “Large” alone is no safety clearance. No object is required. No small loose pieces, detachable parts, food, water, tools, tight lids, bags, cords, magnets, batteries, foam, glass, raised ramps, lights, covering faces or surprise reveals are introduced. No child handling of paper; any print stays adult-held away from mouth/reach. Adults maintain normal supervision and unobstructed access. These offers certify no material or setup.
Use known home words, established signs/AAC and family-informed supports. A competent familiar speaker may use their own language; this pack supplies no translation, invented gesture dictionary, cultural story or First Nations language claim. The adult can speak, sign/communicate through established supports, act silently if accessible, or stay quietly available. Quiet does not remove usual communication access.
Stop rule: respond to a known no/stop, discomfort, withdrawal of interest or uncertainty by stopping the added offer and returning to ordinary familiar care/play. Never keep testing until a clearer answer appears. No new touch, sound or movement is used to obtain evidence. A restart needs current willingness. Necessary routine transitions remain adult responsibilities, with a familiar explanation; child participation is not required for tidying or ending care.
If this contribution is wanted
Offer and child control: If a known message rejects your proposed addition, withdraw it while leaving the safe existing play intact. Ask no comparison question. If there is no known message, say only what you actually changed or left; a feature interest is not automatically an instruction.
Three usable routes: (1) Withdraw the optional adult commentary/contribution, leaving the existing suitable item and usual access. (2) If clearly directed, provide wanted adult help with the current play rather than replacing its purpose. (3) No new object: keep familiar company/established communication without an additional task.
Notice and next: A child may be exploring rather than communicating a plan. Separate the observed interest, any known rejection, and the adult decision to reduce intrusion. Next time offer help with that present interest; do not label one item a lasting favourite. Stop if ordinary comfort/access cannot be retained.
© NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026 · SubjectNest, Tiny actions, meaningful answers · v0.1.0. Original computer-assisted teaching/text/layout CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . No family trial or agency approval claimed.