EiSMART is an evidence based framework to give high risk babies the best start in life. We span all aspects of a child’s development: Sensory, Motor, Attention and Regulation, and Relationships. Professionals and parents work Together to support premature and sick infants from birth (Early Intervention).
We are here to help. You are the expert on your baby; let us work with you and provide the resources, tools and education that can help fulfil your baby’s potential.
Our developmental play leaflets suggest activities to support all aspects of a child’s development. You can get free access to these resources, plus webinars, posters and more.
We are committed to supporting your development. We are working to advance knowledge, skills and practice in early intervention.
Published March 11, 2025
This series of short videos is designed specifically for parents of premature and sick babies to help bridge the gap in the first few months as they transition from hospital to home. The content has been co-produced and written by our therapy and parent team here at Ei SMART as you would expect. The videos contain short, simple tips designed to be useful to parents as they think about how best to support their baby’s development.
They are not designed to replace or negate the need for therapy or expert advice for individual babies but rather to supplement a parent’s understanding of everyday activities that can be used to support their baby’s development.
Grounded in the Ei SMART framework and bringing Together all aspects of development – Sensory Motor, Attention&Regulation, and Relationships, we hope these simple videos will help parents incorporate some of our developmental tips into their daily routines with their baby.
Published April 21, 2024
Date: 15th October 2025
Location: University College London Hospital (UCLH)
Course Fee: £190
Course lead: Dr Audrienne Sammut, Consultant Neonatologist, University College London Hospital
Learn how to support parents and advance young children’s developmental skills using the Ei SMART framework during your consultation.
The content of this study day is aimed specifically at neonatologists and paediatricians who are involved in the neurodevelopmental assessment of high-risk infants in follow up clinics. If you would like to enhance your ability to provide developmental support and anticipatory guidance to parents to promote optimal child development, then this training is for you.
You will gain insight into how to support and guide parents with their infant’s developmental process as part of your multi-disciplinary follow up team or until additional and specialised services are available.
You will learn how to provide targeted early intervention focussing on everyday activities which are understandable for parents and their infants, based on commonly seen developmental challenges in the first 2 years.
Content includes common neurological and developmental concerns and Anticipatory Guidance and Early Intervention at the following ages:
Ei SMART is a framework for clinical reasoning based on evidence-based principles to give high risk babies the best start in life. It spans infant development from birth to pre-school and beyond. It uniquely supports infant development by integrating Sensory, Motor, Attention and regulation and Relational development through co-production between multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals and parents working Together.
This study day is co-developed and presented by our team of therapists, (OT, PT, SLT), nursing and medical practitioners, and parents with lived experience of having babies and young children with developmental differences and challenges.
Enquiries: ucla.educationevents@nhs.net
CPD accreditation in progress
Published February 6, 2024
Following the huge success of our study days in 2023/24 we are delighted to offer a range of study day options for 2025. If you can’t see what you are looking for please get in touch as we can also offer bespoke training for your team.
Click on the download button for our programme of study days. We currently have three courses running, Foundation Level training and Implementation Training for Neonatal Units and Implementation in the community. The programme includes details of how you can book your place through EventBrite.
We also have new dates for our course specifically for neonatologists and paediatricians working in neurodevelopmental follow up clinics who want to learn early intervention skills and strategies to pass on to parents in their clinics. Visit our event page to find out more detail and course dates.
EiSMART is a framework for improving developmental outcomes for high risk infants. It is an approach founded in research, which combines multiple disciplines, to address every aspect of development in premature and sick babies. EiSMART is a uniquely collaborative approach, where professionals and parents work Together to provide early and more effective interventions for infants and young children with developmental challenges. Click on the balls to learn more.
To feel joy in touch and successfully interpret the world around them.
To be supported by a close-knit team of parents and professionals, working to see them fulfil their potential.
To be embraced with confidence and skill by their families.
To move and explore in a secure space; to lay the building blocks for cognitive development.
To learn how to sleep deeply, grow strong, play and feel connected.
Using EiSMART resources
Have been introduced to the EiSMART network worldwide
Have been introduced to the EiSMART network worldwide
“In the beginning of my NICU journey I cried every day. There is no other outlet for the hurt, the sadness, the fear – especially the fear – of giving birth so early. In NICU, everything about those first weeks is different to how it should be. You emerge from that darkness into an intense, overwhelming, medical world where you feel utterly helpless to do the most natural thing: care for your baby. Stumbling upon EiSMART was like finding fresh air, after a long, dark time under water. It helped me recover purpose; recover focus; recover the ability to care for my baby.”
– Parent of baby born at 24 weeks’ gestation
