Ask for Help
Parent hides a toy under a box and encourages baby to ask for help retrieving it. The agent coaches the parent to observe baby's attention, gestural communication, and problem-solving attempts — building early communication skills and social connection through shared problem-solving.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Parent and baby sitting facing each other on floor or at table. One favorite small toy and one opaque container (box, bowl, cup) that can completely hide the toy. Space should be free of distractions.
How it works
- 1~30s
Start by showing your child the toy. Let them see it clearly and maybe touch it. Then, slowly and deliberately place the toy under the box so your child watches it disappear. Watch their face closely — does your child track the toy as it goes under? Does they look at the box, then back at you, showing they remembers the toy is there? Tell me what you notice about their attention.
Watch for: Baby maintains attention on the hiding process and remembers the hidden object exists.
- 2~40s
Now wait and see what your child does. Don't immediately get the toy — give them a chance to communicate. Does your child look at you and then at the box? Does they reach toward it, point, or make any gestures that seem like asking for help? You might see them look back and forth between you and the box, or make a reaching motion. Watch for any intentional communication attempts.
Watch for: Baby uses gestures to ask for help retrieving the hidden toy.
- 3~45s
Let's try one more time with a slight variation. This time, place two different toys under separate boxes. Watch which one your child wants. Does they point specifically to the box with the preferred toy? Does they combine pointing with looking at you to make sure you're following their attention? We're looking for that coordinated pointing-and-looking that shows shared focus and clear preference.
Watch for: Baby points to specific object or location to indicate desire or draw attention.