News
A first for Switzerland: Apexa QLA achieves DMI Level C certification
Apexa QLA Suisse is the first Swiss therapy centre to reach DMI Level C — the highest tier of Dynamic Movement Intervention training. Here's what that means, and why it matters for your child.
Some milestones belong to the children we work with; this one belongs to the whole team — and, really, to every family who trusts us with their child's progress. Apexa QLA Suisse has become the first therapy centre in Switzerland to achieve DMI Level C certification, awarded to our lead therapist Fabienne Theler.
The milestone, in short
Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) training is structured in levels, from introductory courses up to Level C — the most advanced certification a therapist can hold. In June 2024, Fabienne Theler completed that final level, making our centre in Zug the first in Switzerland to offer DMI at this depth. At the time of writing, only one therapist in the country holds both the B and C level certifications — and she's on our team.
"Our mission is to help every child reach their full potential. Advanced training isn't a trophy — it's more tools on the table for every single session."
— Fabienne Theler, lead therapist
What DMI actually is
Dynamic Movement Intervention is a specialised, hands-on therapy for children with neurological conditions and motor delays. Rather than passively moving a child, DMI provokes active responses — short, precise, repeated challenges that ask the child's brain to solve a movement problem. Its core principles:
- Neuroplasticity: targeted movement exercises stimulate the brain's ability to form new connections.
- Sensory integration: multiple sensory inputs are woven into each exercise to activate the nervous system.
- Individual adaptation: every exercise is calibrated to the child's specific needs and abilities on that day.
Why Level C is a big deal
Each DMI level adds more advanced techniques, more complex exercise progressions and finer clinical reasoning. Level C therapists can safely challenge children at the very edge of their abilities — which is exactly where motor learning happens fastest. For Switzerland's paediatric therapy landscape, having this expertise available locally means families no longer need to travel abroad to access the highest tier of DMI treatment.
What it means for your child
Certifications only matter if they show up on the therapy mat. In practice, DMI at this level supports measurable improvements in:
What DMI works on
- Gross motor skills — sitting, standing, transitions, walking.
- Muscle strength and endurance.
- Balance, coordination and postural control.
- Sensory processing and body awareness.
- Functional skills your child uses every single day.
Children working with us on cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or developmental delays will feel the difference as richer, more precisely dosed sessions — and parents will see it in the objective measures we track from block to block.
Where DMI fits in at Apexa QLA
DMI is one of the central building blocks of ORCA — Objective Reasoning & Clinical Architecture, the framework behind everything we do in Zug. Within ORCA, DMI sessions are combined with complementary methods, family coaching and measurable goals, whether in a weekly rhythm or an intensive block. Evidence-based therapy, genuine parental involvement and compassionate care — that's the promise, and this certification strengthens it.
Questions about DMI, or wondering whether it could help your child? Get in touch — we'll talk it through honestly.
