Discover How To Apply The EiSMART Approach In Practice

Join our workshops, training sessions, conference events and more to learn how to apply the EiSMART approach in practice.

Upcoming Courses

  • EiSMART for Neonatologists and Paediatricians

    Date:  8th May 2025 and 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: 

    • 0-3 months
    • 3-6 months
    • 6-12 months
    • 12-24 months
    • Overview of the Ei SMART framework and evidence underpinning/supporting the approach
    • How co-production is embedded within the Ei SMART approach

    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

  • Early Intervention training for Therapists

    Early Intervention and Assessment for Infants and young children at high risk of neurodevelopmental problems – a practical and evidence-based approach*

    This course provides a comprehensive overview of assessment and early intervention from birth to 12 months encompassing the Ei SMART approach.
    This course provides essential training for physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists working with high-risk infants in the NICU and in the community during the first year of life. The emphasis is on early intervention therapists working together with parents as equal partners to provide the most evidence based and effective interventions possible. During the course participants learn how to use assessment to guide interventions which are aimed at advancing developmental skills, promoting function and participation whilst supporting the parent-infant relationship. Course participants leave with increased confidence and many new skills which they can implement straight away in their early intervention clinics.
    The course is delivered twice a year in the CerebralPalsycymru centre in Cardiff and is structured as follows:

    Part 1 is delivered ONLINE, starting with one full day, followed by self-directed learning through pre-recorded lectures and online follow-up tutorials, which is the equivalent of 3 days education time.
    Part 2 occurs on 3 full days IN-PERSON at Cerebral Palsy Cymru. The focus is on working with babies/infants and their families with guidance and support from the course tutors, Betty Hutchon and Christine Barber.
    To find out more or book a place on one of the Cardiff courses email: courses@cerebralpalsycymru.org

    We also offer this course as a 5 day in-person training and have recently delivered the course in Ireland and Jordan. If you would like more information about running the course in your setting please email: betty@eismart.co.uk or info@eismart.co.uk

  • EiSMART Study Days

    We have 3 separate but complimentary instructional study days to introduce you to the Ei SMART framework and it’s application in different settings.

    1. Foundation level study day which is an introduction to the Ei SMART framework which should be attended before the Implementation study days.

    2. Introduction to implementing the Ei SMART framework in the Neonatal unit

    3. Introduction to implementing the Ei SMART framework after discharge in community settings.

    These 3 study days are suitable for everyone working with high risk infants including nurses, doctors, psychologists, health care assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and other health care practitioners.

    For further details on each course, please see below.

  • EiSMART – Foundation Level – March and October

    Date: 7th March 2025 or 2nd October 2025

    Format: 1 Day online.  9.00am – 4.30pm

    Cost: £135

    This study day provides an in depth introduction to the Ei SMART framework and should be attended before attending the Implementation study days.

    Ei SMART is an evidence-based approach to optimise developmental outcomes that 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 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.

    Content includes:

    • Evidence for, and the background to, the development of the Ei SMART framework
    • How co-production is embedded within the development of the Ei SMART approach.
    • How Ei SMART expands the multidisciplinary team’s (MDT) thinking to focus on the relative contributions of, and the important inter-relationships between Sensory, Motor, Attention & Regulation and Relationships.

    • Implementation of the EiSMART Framework in a neonatal unit – March and October

      Date: 13th March 2025 or 9th October 2025

      Format: 1 day online.  9.00am – 4.30pm

      Cost: £135 per day

      This is a follow on study day from the Foundation level training and is aimed at staff working in the neonatal unit.

      These implementation workshops are co-produced and delivered 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.

      Content includes:

      • Learn about the application of the S, M, A, and R, in the Neonatal Unit and working Together with parents in co-production and partnership.
      • Consider how the Ei SMART framework could be incorporated into daily/weekly ward rounds/systematic reviews and how the use of this framework would influence your conversations with parents and your team.
      • Discuss how to use the Ei SMART framework to bridge the gap between hospital and home.
      • Learn how to use the Ei SMART framework to co-produce goals in partnership with parents in the Neonatal Unit.

      • Implementation of the EiSMART Framework after discharge and in early intervention – March and October

        Date: 14th March 2025 or 10th October 2025

        Format: 1 Day online.  9.00am – 4.30pm

        Cost: £135

        This study day will focus on implementing the Ei SMART framework after discharge and in community settings.

        These implementation workshops are co-produced and delivered 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.

        Content includes:

        • An introduction to implementing the Ei SMART framework after discharge to deliver holistic and effective early intervention.
        • Consider how the Ei SMART threads are integrated into neurodevelopmental therapy.
        • Learn how to use Ei SMART to to co-produce goals in partnership with parents
        • Learn how to bring the SMAR Together to promote activity and participation.
        • What’s needed to run ‘Ei SMART’ clinics – hear from practitioners.

      • Book all three dates

      Past Courses

      • Conference speaker event: APCP with CYPF RCOT at Institute of Child Health London

        EiSMART management board chairs, Dr Sibylle Erdman and Dr Betty Hutchon presented to a packed (pre lockdown!) lecture theatre of paediatric OTs and physios on the EiSMART approach.  This was one of the first EiSMART parent-therapist led presentations and it was enlightening for many of the attendees who had not encountered this new approach.

      • EiSMART Masterclass and Workshop

        EiSMART hosted a virtual Masterclass and Workshop for therapists, parents and professionals seeking to maximise the potential of babies with neurodevelopmental concerns. The expert-led Masterclass introduced the case for, and principles behind, the five-fold EiSMART approach. The Workshop was an opportunity to share and discuss the practical application of the EiSMART approach.

      • Conference speaker event: British Association of Neurodevelopmental Neonatal Follow up

        EiSMART was invited to join an internationally acclaimed line up of speakers for the launch and study day of BANNFU (British Association of Neurodevelopmental Neonatal Follow up), a subgroup of BAPM ( British Association of Perinatal Medicine), on 1 October 2021. This study day was attended by paediatricans, neonatalogists, psychologists, nurses and therapists, as well as parents and others involved in the follow up of high risk infants.
        This conference was considered by all to be a huge success and received excellent feedback and EiSMART was honoured to have been part of the BANNFU launch.