DMI Certification Levels: What to Ask Before You Book
Not every therapist who uses DMI exercises has the same training, and the difference matters. DMI practitioners progress through seven certification levels, and only those who have completed Introductory Level C may offer an official DMI Therapy Intensive. Therapists below that level can still use DMI exercises they have been trained in, but they are required to disclose their training level. This page explains what each level means and what to ask before you book.
What are the DMI certification levels?
DMI training has seven levels, completed in order. A therapist cannot skip ahead, and there are enforced waiting periods between courses.
- 1
Introductory Level A
the first course
- 2
Introductory Level B
- 3
Introductory Level C
the threshold for offering official DMI Therapy Intensives
- 4
Intermediate Level A
- 5
Intermediate Level B
the final course before Master/Teacher training
- 6
Master / Teacher Levels
Introductory Levels A and B run two full days each, roughly 10 to 15 hours, and can be taken online or in person. Level C is a three-day, in-person-only course, with the third day a full practical lab. Intermediate and Master levels are in person only and require approval to attend.
Can any DMI-trained therapist offer a DMI intensive?
No. According to DMI's official guidance, "Practitioners may not perform or advertise themselves as an official DMI Therapy Intensive unless they have completed DMI Level C of training." A therapist below Level C may still run therapy intensives using the DMI exercises they have been trained in but they are required to disclose their level of training in their advertising and on their social media.
In practice this means you are entitled to ask, and a clinic should be able to answer plainly.
"Practitioners may not perform or advertise themselves as an official DMI Therapy Intensive unless they have completed DMI Level C of training."
What's the difference between a DMI intensive and weekly DMI sessions?
Both are legitimate. DMI describes itself as an "intensive intervention" regardless of scheduling every session places high demand on the child. The "intensive model of therapy" (IMOT) compresses that into daily or twice-daily sessions over one to two weeks. Weekly or biweekly DMI sessions deliver the same techniques on a slower schedule. Which fits depends on your child's stamina, your travel distance, and your budget.
How long does it take a therapist to reach Level C?
At minimum, about six months. DMI requires a three-month wait between each Introductory level, so a therapist moving as fast as the rules allow reaches Level C roughly half a year after starting. Beyond that the pace slows sharply: at least one year between Level C and Intermediate A, and another year before Intermediate B.
Course fees run $800 each for Levels A and B and $1,000 for Level C, not counting travel for the in-person requirement. That investment is part of why DMI-certified therapists are still uncommon, particularly outside major metro areas.
What should I ask a clinic before booking?
These are reasonable questions, and a good clinic will welcome them.
What DMI level has the therapist who would treat my child completed?
If you offer intensives, is the treating therapist Level C certified?
Will the same therapist work with my child for the whole intensive?
How many children with my child's diagnosis have you treated using DMI?
What would you expect to see after two weeks, and what would tell us this isn't working?
What does a session cost, what does a full intensive cost, and do you bill insurance or provide a superbill?
Do you provide a home exercise program afterward, and will you train me on it?
Should I rule out a therapist who isn't Level C?
Not necessarily. A Level A or B therapist may be an excellent clinician using DMI techniques appropriately within their training, and for weekly sessions that may be exactly right. What matters is that they tell you their level and don't market services beyond it. Be cautious with any provider who advertises "DMI intensives" but won't state a certification level, or who uses DMI exercises without any formal DMI training at all.
How do I find a certified DMI practitioner?
DMI maintains a directory of registered practitioners, updated as new therapists complete training. It's the most reliable way to confirm someone's training rather than relying on a clinic's own description.
Are there children who should not do DMI?
Yes. DMI states plainly that it "cannot be used with children with OI (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) or any other brittle bone conditions." Beyond that, always discuss any new therapy with your child's pediatrician or specialist first, particularly if your child has had recent surgery, uncontrolled seizures, or orthopedic precautions.
DMI certification in Idaho
Idaho has few DMI-certified therapists. Ascend Pediatric Therapy in Coeur d'Alene offers DMI therapy including intensive programs. Lullaby Waters in Boise has a DMI-certified occupational therapist on staff. When you contact either, asking about certification level is a normal and welcome question.