Family and Practitioner Perspectives on Prenatal Early Intervention.

Keilty et al. (2020) asked two groups what they think about starting Early Intervention before a baby is born.

One group was families who already had a child with developmental delay. The other group was EI practitioners.

Everyone filled out a survey that listed possible prenatal goals. They rated how clear and how important each goal felt.

Both families and practitioners said the prenatal goals were clear and important.

Families wanted EI staff to help with every area: feeding, sleep, behavior, medical care.

Practitioners liked the idea too, but they wanted to share the work with doctors and nurses.

Mé lina et al. (2023) listened to parents tell the story of getting a diagnosis. Those parents want the same five things: easy access, smooth hand-offs, trustworthy info, flexible visits, and a warm provider. Bonnie’s families echo every point, just earlier in time.

Callanan et al. (2021) and Dempsey et al. (2009) show that family-centered help after birth lowers parent stress. Bonnie’s data say families are ready for that help even before birth.

Pickard et al. (2025) found that when Part C coaches stick to the model, parents use the strategies more, but warmth comes from extra tweaks. Bonnie’s practitioners already expect to team with medical staff—an early sign that shared roles may need to be built into any prenatal model.

You now have parent proof that prenatal EI is not a hard sell. Families want you at the table as soon as they hear “high risk.” Build a short prenatal packet that lists the same goal areas Bonnie used. Offer it during the last trimester OB visit. Tell families you will co-visit with the nurse so no one feels you are stepping on toes. Start small: one joint visit, one follow-up call. The survey says they will say yes.