DMI therapy guide

DMI Therapy in Idaho: A Parent's Guide to Dynamic Movement Intervention

DMI therapy (Dynamic Movement Intervention) is a hands-on technique that pediatric physical and occupational therapists use to help children with motor delays reach milestones like sitting, crawling, standing, and walking. In Idaho, you can find DMI therapy and DMI intensives at Ascend Pediatric Therapy in Coeur d'Alene.

This guide answers the big questions in plain language and points you to the deeper pages on this site.

Find DMI therapy in Idaho What is DMI?
A mother sitting on the floor with her baby, working on a wooden puzzle together
What it isA technique used inside PT and OT sessions, introduced in February 2021 by physical therapists Jake Kreindler and Jo-Anne Weltman.
Who it's forChildren with any type of motor delay, starting as early as 1 month of age.
How it worksExercises against gravity, each repeated around five times, with less support as your child gets stronger.
How oftenWeekly sessions, or an intensive of daily sessions for a set period.
IntensivesOnly therapists who have completed DMI Level C may offer an official DMI Therapy Intensive.
SafetyNot used with severe brittle bone diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta.
ResearchNo controlled study yet, one published case report, and two randomized trials awaiting results.
In IdahoDMI therapy and intensives at Ascend Pediatric Therapy in Coeur d'Alene.

How does DMI therapy work for children?

In a DMI session, the therapist holds your child at specific points and presents exercises that ask your child's body to respond against gravity. The goal is to build automatic postural responses, the quick, unplanned adjustments that keep us upright, and to stimulate neuroplasticity so your child's brain makes new and stronger connections.

Each exercise is repeated around five times, and a session includes many different exercises. As your child gets stronger, the therapist moves their hands farther from the center of the body so your child does more of the work. Exercises happen on a DMI table, with DMI's box set, or on the floor.

Read the full explanation of DMI

What a session feels like

After a brief assessment, the therapist chooses exercises that challenge your child at the highest level they can manage, along with exercises that build core and foundational skills.

Some children cry at first. DMI's parent guide explains that this is usually a child saying the work is hard or a movement feels new, and that children settle as their confidence grows. A favorite toy, book, music, or tablet can help.

See a full walkthrough of a DMI session

Who is DMI therapy for?

DMI says it can help children with any type of motor delay, big or small, from babies who are not rolling yet to kids who walk but need help with stairs or uneven ground, regardless of their level of cognition. These are the conditions this site covers in depth:

An adult gently holding an infant's handsCerebral palsy A smiling baby girl with Down syndrome pushing up on her arms on a bedDown syndrome A baby doing supported tummy time on a pillow, watching a colorful toyHypotonia (low muscle tone) A toddler building with wooden blocks on a bedroom floorGlobal developmental delay Two parents holding hands in a hospital newborn nurseryPrematurity and NICU graduates

DMI also lists genetic and chromosomal disorders, acquired brain injury, and spinal cord lesions. See all conditions

Who should not do DMI: DMI is not used with children who have severe brittle bone diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta. Children with spina bifida, SMA, extreme low tone, or a risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis need extreme precaution, as do children who are new to DMI or returning after a long break. Children with Down syndrome need neck precautions too; see our explainer on atlantoaxial instability.

What results have families seen?

Here is what has been documented so far, from three kinds of sources. These are real results for real children. None of them is a promise for yours, and every child is different.

Published case report
29% to 68.68%

In a 2026 case report in the journal Pathophysiology, a girl with Apert syndrome received DMI as an intensive program in monthly cycles over eight months, from about 16 to 24 months of age. Her GMFM-88 score rose from 29.00% to 68.68%, with the biggest gains in sitting, crawling, and kneeling. It is one child, with no comparison group.

A clinic's story
2 weeks

Ascend Pediatric Therapy in Coeur d'Alene shared the story of a boy who, before DMI, was getting traditional PT and OT once every other week and had only just begun practicing standing. During a two-week DMI intensive, the clinic says, he worked on sitting, holding a hands-and-knees position, and standing and stepping for two hours every day, and the clinic shared photos of his progress. This is the clinic's own account of one child, posted on its website.

Practitioner reports
Faster gains

DMI's clinical commentary says that, anecdotally, reports from practitioners and parents have shown meaningful and often faster improvements in gross motor function than expected. These are reports from therapists and families, not study results.

Is DMI therapy better than regular physical therapy?

No study has compared them head to head yet, so no one can honestly tell you DMI is better or worse. A randomized trial comparing DMI with the Bobath approach in children with spastic cerebral palsy finished in June 2026 and has not released results, and a second trial at Cairo University compares DMI with a selective physical therapy program.

DMI is not a replacement for physical or occupational therapy. It is a technique that trained PTs and OTs use inside their sessions. If your child's progress has stalled with conventional therapy, DMI is a reasonable thing to ask about.

How DMI compares to NDT, Bobath, and CME

What is a DMI intensive, and how long does it take?

An intensive packs many sessions into a short, set period instead of spreading them out week to week. DMI says therapy can be done once or twice a week, or every day for a period of time as part of a therapy intensive. Only therapists who have completed DMI Level C may offer an official DMI Therapy Intensive.

Schedules vary by clinic. Ascend Pediatric Therapy says its intensives run 1 to 2 weeks, 5 days a week, with DMI 1 to 2 times a day in 55-minute sessions. Ask any clinic for its own schedule.

Planning an intensive, including travel

How do I find a DMI certified therapist in Idaho?

This site recommends one Idaho DMI provider, Ascend Pediatric Therapy in Coeur d'Alene.

Coeur d'Alene and northern Idaho

Ascend Pediatric Therapy

DMI therapyDMI intensives

Founded by Emily Sater, OTR/L, to provide DMI intensive therapy for families in northern Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. Ascend has also run outreach intensives in Boise.

Visit Ascend Pediatric Therapy

Outside northern Idaho, DMI's Registered Practitioner directory lists trained therapists by location. See all Idaho therapy resources

What should I ask before booking DMI therapy?

  • What DMI level have you completed? Only Level C therapists may offer an official DMI Therapy Intensive.
  • How will you measure my child's progress, and how often will you reassess?
  • How many sessions do you recommend, and how long is each one?
  • Will the same therapist work with my child every session?
  • What does a session or an intensive cost, and do you bill insurance or provide a superbill?
  • How do you adapt the exercises for my child's diagnosis and any precautions?

DMI certification levels and what to ask

Does insurance cover DMI therapy?

Sometimes. DMI says coverage depends on whether the clinic or therapist accepts insurance, and DMI is billed as physical or occupational therapy depending on the therapist's background. Ask your insurer and the clinic directly.

If your child is under 3, Idaho's Infant Toddler Program will do a free developmental evaluation, and you can request it yourself without a doctor's referral.

What DMI therapy costs
The Idaho Infant Toddler Program, explained

Explore the full DMI guide

01What is DMI?The full explanation, the research so far, and the debate. 02What a DMI session looks likeA step-by-step walkthrough of a first session. 03DMI certification levelsWhat each level means and what to ask before you book. 04Traveling for a DMI intensiveCost, stamina, and planning a week or two away. 05What DMI therapy costsSession fees, insurance, and Idaho Medicaid. 06DMI vs other therapiesHow DMI compares to NDT, Bobath, CME, and aquatic therapy. 07ConditionsCerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hypotonia, and more. 08Research updatesPlain-language explainers on studies and assessment tools. 09Idaho resourcesProviders, state programs, and how to get evaluated.

Common questions about DMI therapy

What is DMI therapy?

DMI therapy, or Dynamic Movement Intervention, is a hands-on technique that pediatric physical and occupational therapists use to help children with motor delays build automatic postural responses and reach milestones like sitting, crawling, standing, and walking.

How does DMI therapy work for children?

The therapist holds your child at specific points and presents exercises against gravity, repeats each one around five times, and gives less support as your child gets stronger, so the movements become automatic.

Where can I find DMI therapy near Boise, Idaho?

Ascend Pediatric Therapy in Coeur d'Alene offers DMI intensives and has run outreach intensives in Boise. To find a trained therapist closer to Boise, search DMI's Registered Practitioners directory, which shows each practitioner's location.

How long does a DMI intensive take?

It varies by clinic. DMI describes an intensive as daily therapy for a period of time. Ascend Pediatric Therapy says its intensives run 1 to 2 weeks, 5 days a week, with DMI 1 to 2 times a day in 55-minute sessions.

Is DMI therapy better than regular physical therapy?

No study has compared them head to head yet. A randomized trial comparing DMI with the Bobath approach finished in June 2026 and has not released results. DMI is a technique PTs and OTs use inside their sessions, not a replacement for them.

Does insurance cover DMI therapy?

Sometimes. It depends on whether the clinic or therapist accepts insurance, and DMI is billed as physical or occupational therapy depending on the therapist's background.

Who should not do DMI therapy?

DMI is not used with children who have severe brittle bone diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta, and children with conditions like spina bifida, SMA, or extreme low tone need extra precautions.

Ready to ask a provider about DMI?

This site does not provide therapy or referrals. It is here to help you walk into a clinic knowing what to ask. Ascend Pediatric Therapy, the Idaho provider on this site, offers DMI therapy and DMI intensives.

Contact a provider See Idaho providers

Sources

Nothing here is medical advice. Discuss anything you read here with your child's pediatrician or therapist.

About this site

Idaho DMI is an independent, non-commercial resource. It is not run by a clinic, it has no financial relationship with any provider listed here, and it accepts no advertising or referral fees. There is nothing to buy and no one selling you anything. The only form on this site asks families and therapists to tell us about DMI-certified providers we haven't found yet. It exists because Dynamic Movement Intervention is not well known in Idaho, and families whose children haven't progressed with conventional therapy deserve to know it's an option worth asking about.

Information here is drawn from DMI's official training organization and published clinical literature, and is linked to its sources so you can check it yourself. Nothing on this site is medical advice. Always talk with your child's pediatrician or therapist before starting a new therapy.

Last updated: September 2026