In the world of pediatric rehabilitation, innovative therapies are constantly emerging to help patients enhance mobility, reach developmental milestones, and improve overall function.

One such approach is Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI). This specialized technique stands apart from traditional therapies and offers unique benefits that can significantly improve a child’s motor skills.

At the WVU Medicine Children’s Neurodevelopmental Center, we are excited to now offer DMI as part of our pediatric physical therapy program.

Let’s explore how DMI can make a significant difference in your child’s life.

What is Dynamic Movement Intervention?

Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) is a specialized therapeutic technique used to treat children with gross motor delays and impairments.

First introduced by Jake Kreindler and Jo-Ann Weltman in 2021, DMI incorporates the principles of neuroplasticity to train the child’s brain through guided movement patterns for improved mobility.

During DMI therapy sessions, the therapist will perform a variety of specific exercises that focus on exposing the child to dynamic movements against gravity. The primary goal of each exercise is to provoke an active motor response from the child to complete the movement.

Over time, the response from the child becomes more automatic and efficient, resulting in overall improved gross motor abilities.

How is DMI different from traditional physical therapy?

DMI is rooted in understanding how children learn and develop through movement. It is an intense and potent therapy approach. The exercises of DMI are designed to emphasize the child’s own abilities and strengths rather than relying on passive handling from the therapist.

The therapist will utilize varying levels of support throughout each guided movement of DMI to challenge the child at an appropriate level. During DMI, the therapist will frequently present exercises that work on the child’s highest level of function as opposed to the building blocks hierarchy of skills seen during most traditional therapies.

The child does NOT need to master a low-level skill prior to practicing a high-level skill. Focusing on more complex motor skills will stimulate neuroplasticity and promote carry-over to various skills.

For example, if the child is working toward sitting and standing, the therapist will focus on standing exercises to strengthen the trunk muscles required for sitting, thereby improving both skills.

How can DMI therapy benefit my child?

DMI offers a wide range of benefits that can positively impact your child’s development:

1. Enhanced Gross Motor Skills: One of the major goals of DMI is to improve the child’s movement. By practicing a specific motor response repeatedly, the movement becomes more automatic, allowing the brain to repeat it efficiently and smoothly across various situations.
2. Improved Balance: DMI helps to strengthen the muscles that are required for postural control and balance by incorporating multiple sensory systems and utilizing the effects of gravity through certain positions and movements.
3. Increased Range of Motion: DMI recommends dynamic stretching as opposed to passive stretching. Research has shown that stretching during movement leads to longer lasting benefits and greater gains in mobility.
4. Greater Independence: DMI is designed to help your child reach developmental milestones and improve functional mobility. The therapist will provide ONLY the LEAST amount of support necessary for your child to accomplish a skill. That assistance will gradually be weaned toincrease the child’s independence with movement.
5. Individualized Treatment Sessions: Each child is unique, and so are their developmental needs. Our skilled therapists assess each child’s strengths and challenges, tailoring PT sessions and DMI exercises to meet their individual goals.
6. Better Postural Alignment and Control: The exercises performed during DMI encourage your child to activate the appropriate muscles needed to obtain correct anatomical alignment. We call this verticality – the child’s ability to maintain an upright posture against the demands of gravity.
7. Modification of Atypical Movement Patterns: Children can get “stuck” into certain movement patterns. Often times, these movement patterns are atypical and inefficient. As part of DMI, the therapist will promote developmentally appropriate movement patterns which help the child break out of their habitual movements and integrate primitive reflexes.
8. Increases in Global Developmental Skills: DMI has been proven to not only contribute to gains in gross motor skills, but also links to improvements in speech and language development, visual motor skills, cognition, social interactions, and feeding and swallowing.

Is DMI right for my child?

DMI may be a good fit for your child if they are struggling with gross motor skills. Whether your child is delayed in attaining their motor milestones (sitting, crawling, standing, walking, etc.) or simply just clumsy, DMI works at the level of your child’s brain to attain optimal movement patterns and improve mobility skills. DMI exercises can be performed regardless of your child’s level of cognition and the extent of neurological damage. Children diagnosed with any time of motor impairment may benefit from this form of therapy. This includes, but is not limited to, children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, global developmental delay, hypotonia, chromosomal abnormalities, genetic disorders, ataxia, spinal cord lesions, acquired brain injuries, and prematurity.

Getting Started

To learn more, please contact the WVU Medicine call center at 304-598-4000 to get connected with a DMI registered practitioner, who will determine your child’s eligibility through an intake assessment.

To learn more, you can also visit dmitherapy.com.