How the American Association of Certified Orthoptists Is Raising Awareness Around Professional Pediatric Eye Care

By Your Health Magazine Contributor

Your Health Magazine Contributor

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How the American Association of Certified Orthoptists Is Raising Awareness Around Professional Pediatric Eye Care

Proper healthcare and screening for children are important, as this can help catch any developmental issues while there is still time to address them before they cause serious health problems and complications. Unfortunately, many parents overlook vision care for the simple reason that it’s not typically needed until a routine eye exam at an annual appointment identifies the need for additional eye care. 

Comprehensive eye exams performed by specialized professionals in eye care are not typically a part of standard care unless a patient is referred to a specialist. According to some professionals, this is something that needs to change.

“Many parents don’t understand the profound impact that vision conditions can have on their children,” explains Amanda Yonkers, Certified Orthoptist and Director of Continuing Education at the American Association of Certified Orthoptists. 

One of the most common consequences of untreated pediatric vision problems is poor school performance. When children have difficulty seeing, they may have challenges reading, writing, and completing activities. Not only does this impact their grade and ability to learn, but it could also have indirect consequences for their behavior, as they may struggle to focus on classwork if they have difficulty seeing.

Why seeing an eye care professional for an eye exam is a necessary part of pediatric care

It is important to remember that children often lack the knowledge and verbal skills necessary to communicate vision difficulties. Especially if they are young, children may falsely believe that everyone else sees the world the same way as they do, which is why testing by an eye doctor or other skilled eye health professional is important. 

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that children have vision tests throughout their childhood to ensure that their vision is developing properly. While it is ideal to have vision tests conducted by certified eye care professionals — pediatric ophthalmologists working in conjunction with orthoptists — most children receive basic tests from generalized medical practitioners, such as pediatricians or family physicians. This screening test is a useful tool in identifying children who might require specialized vision treatment, such as glasses or patch therapy. Children who do not pass this basic vision test are referred for a complete eye exam by an eye care specialist team.

Additionally, catching vision issues early is crucial to prevent worsening and the potential formation of ‌permanent vision impairment or loss. Although it is well known that vision tends to degenerate with age, some vision problems can emerge during childhood, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, crossed eyes, and lazy eye. Catching and treating these conditions early can help preserve the child’s vision and is crucial to reversing early-stage vision loss.

This philosophy is the core of the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children (EDVI) Act sponsored by the Prevent Blindness Organization which is still in committee. The American Association of Certified Orthoptists has wholeheartedly supported passing the Act as one of 83 endorsing organizations. The EDVI Act seeks to establish a program that provides grants to states and communities to ensure that children have the opportunity for early identification and intervention for potential vision problems, preventing them from becoming more significant problems down the line. 

What eye care professionals does your child need to see for screening and treatment: Optometrist, ophthalmologist, or orthoptist?

What many people do not realize is that comprehensive vision care requires a team-based approach involving several specialized professionals, each of whom approaches a different aspect of a person’s vision. Most people are familiar with optometrists — the doctors responsible for performing general eye exams and giving prescriptions for corrective lenses like glasses or contact lenses — as well as ophthalmologists, who diagnose and treat medical conditions affecting a patient’s eyes. However, fewer people are familiar with the role that an orthoptist plays in vision care.

Orthoptists are medical professionals who are specially trained to evaluate and treat disorders of the visual system, focusing specifically on issues like binocular vision and eye movement disorders. Often, the most common optical diseases that require treatment from an orthoptist are amblyopia (also known as “lazy eye”) and double vision. In addition to testing patients for these conditions, orthoptists may prescribe corrective prisms, patching therapy, or eye exercises, or work with ophthalmologists to recommend surgery if necessary.

“Testing and treating these conditions in childhood is important, as this can address these vision difficulties while the child’s vision is still developing,” Yonkers explains. “If these conditions are left untreated, they can become permanent because the child is never given the opportunity to form healthy vision. Although it’s possible to treat vision conditions like double vision at any age, amblyopia should be treated during the ‘critical period’ of childhood to have the greatest impact.”

Thus, when you are evaluating your child’s need for eye care after they first present with potential eye conditions, consider getting a thorough evaluation from a specialized team — a pediatric ophthalmologist working in conjunction with a pediatric optometrist or certified orthoptist — to screen for conditions such as amblyopia and double vision. “This could be the first step in not only treating your child’s vision problems now but also ensuring that they grow up to have healthy vision throughout their lifetime,” Yonkers concludes.