EVIDENCE HIERARCHY

DMI is Sackett Level 5

The lowest possible rating in evidence-based medicine

The Evidence Pyramid

Level 1 — Systematic reviews & meta-analyses of RCTs
Level 2 — Large randomized controlled trials
Level 3-4 — Cohort studies, case-control, case series
Level 5 — No Evidence
Expert opinion, case reports, or no studies at all
DMI STATUS
LEVEL 5
No Evidence

DMI (2021) has only one conference abstract. No RCTs. No registered trials.

Source: Paleg et al. 2026

What Level 5 Actually Means in Practice

Sackett Level 5 is the bottom of the evidence hierarchy. It means there are no well-designed experimental studies. For a paid, intensive intervention marketed to vulnerable families of children with disabilities, this is unacceptable.

"Therapists have a professional responsibility to avoid legitimizing unproven practices and to prioritize interventions supported by robust evidence."

— Paleg G, Pool D, et al. (2026)

Part of the DMI Evidence Network • dminonevidencebased.com