Frequently Asked Questions

We are an allied health profession, like physiotherapists and audiologists, but dedicated to eye care based jobs. Orthoptists work in a range of roles in a various facilities such as; hospital ophthalmology departments, private eye clinics, optometry practices, rehabilitation facilities for patients post-brain injury, kindy’s and schools, low vision centres and in local community clinics. The orthoptists at Adelaide Orthoptics are involved in:

• Children’s eye care – focused on treatment of amblyopia (“lazy vision”), monitoring strabismus (“crossed/turned eyes”) and vision testing in children who would struggle with standard vision tests due to age or ability
• Vision screening – testing children under 6 for vision issues so that the problem can be treated earlier, improving long term outcomes for the patient.
• Double vision assessment – testing patients of all ages for eye movement issues giving them double vision, providing a range of management options.
• Eye movement monitoring – patients with conditions such as Thyroid Eye Disease (also known as Thyroid Orbitopathy) and Myasthenia Gravis have changing eye movement issues throughout the course of their treatment. Our team works with ophthalmologists and endocrinologists to monitor any progression of eye movement issues, and assists the patient in relieving those symptoms.
• Goldmann Visual Fields – not all patients can cope with computerised visual field testing. The orthoptists at Adelaide Orthoptics have access to the only operational Goldmann Visual Field in South Australia allowing patients to be monitored using a manually operated visual fields. This test is available to patients from age 8 onwards, and can be helpful in patients with visual impairment who struggle with standard computer-based visual fields that do not identify their useable vision areas well.
• Peli Prisms – One of our team is trained in fitting and using Peli Prisms in patients who have a hemianopia post-stroke or other brain injury. This is a way of adapting to visual field loss to one side, and can help patients feel more comfortable and safe whilst mobilising.

More information on orthoptists: Through a unique set of skills, orthoptists play a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis and management of eye diseases in both adults and children. A little bit of information on the differences between orthoptists and optometrists. This one is low vision focused – but nicely outlines the difference between ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists. Raising Children is a great source of information for parents.