Orthoptists
People classed as Orthoptists diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments. The skills rated most useful are reading comprehension, active listening, and speaking. One core duty is to evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements. Its interest code is IRS. Investigative leads at 5.7 out of 7, so expect research, analysis and working through hard problems, with Realistic next at 4.9. Getting in usually takes graduate school and often five years or more of related experience, a level O*NET calls extensive preparation. If you want research, analysis and working through hard problems, keep it on your list. If you need leading, persuading and making business decisions, it may feel thin.
What they do
Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.
Main tasks
- Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.
- Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.
- Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.
- Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency.
- Develop nonsurgical treatment plans for patients with conditions such as strabismus, nystagmus, and other visual disorders.
- Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Social Perceptiveness
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on reading comprehension and active listening.
May not suit you if
- You lose interest when a job asks for long stretches of analysis.
- You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 1.5 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code IRS takes the three highest, and Investigative comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Also called
- Clinical Orthoptist (CO)
- CO (Certified Orthoptist)
Related careers
Is this your direction?
See how your interests line up with IRS and 906 other careers.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.