What Is Orthoptics and What Does an Orthoptist Do?

Updated

Orthoptics is an eye health discipline focused on diagnosing and managing disorders of eye movement, alignment, and visual function — commonly things like strabismus (turned eye), amblyopia (lazy eye), double vision, and convergence problems. An orthoptist is the allied health professional who delivers that care, working in public hospitals and ophthalmology practices. Orthoptics Australia (OA) describes itself as the national peak body representing Australian orthoptists, and it promotes and advances the discipline in exactly those settings.

What orthoptics covers

Orthoptics sits within eye and vision care but is distinct from ophthalmology (medical/surgical eye care by a doctor) and optometry (primary vision testing and glasses/contact lens prescribing). The orthoptic focus is on how the eyes work together and how vision develops and functions — particularly binocular vision and eye coordination.

Typical areas an orthoptist works with include:

  • Strabismus — eyes that point in different directions
  • Amblyopia — reduced vision in one eye that isn't correctable by glasses alone
  • Double vision (diplopia) and its causes
  • Convergence and focusing disorders, including eye strain from near work
  • Paediatric vision assessment, since many alignment and development issues appear in childhood
  • Vision assessment in neurological and post-surgical contexts, where eye movement and alignment need monitoring

What an orthoptist does day to day

An orthoptist carries out the diagnostic and non-surgical management side of eye care. In practice that means assessing how the eyes align and move, measuring visual function, and then either managing the condition directly (for example with exercises, patching, or prism correction) or feeding precise measurements back to an ophthalmologist to guide surgery or medical treatment.

OA's own description places orthoptists in public hospitals and ophthalmology practices, so the role often runs alongside an ophthalmologist rather than as a standalone first point of contact. That collaborative position is central to how the profession is organised in Australia.

Where orthoptics fits in the wider eye care team

Profession Main focus
Orthoptist Eye alignment, movement, binocular vision, visual function assessment and non-surgical management
Ophthalmologist Medical and surgical eye disease
Optometrist Primary vision testing, refraction, glasses and contact lenses

The three overlap in patient care, but the orthoptic contribution is specifically the assessment and management of how the eyes coordinate and function together.

Learning more through Orthoptics Australia

If you want the profession's own definition and scope, OA's site has a dedicated About Orthoptics section, including a "What is Orthoptics?" page. The same site also covers careers in orthoptics, job vacancies, professional registration, and membership categories, which makes it the natural starting point whether you're a patient trying to understand the role, a student considering the field, or a practitioner looking for professional resources.

One practical detail worth noting: OA lists a contact line on 03 9586 6080 and an email at [email protected] for direct enquiries.