Behavioural Optometry
Diagnosing the Difficulty
The Visual Inventory
Behavioural optometrists examine the entire visual process of their patients. The examination is a way of taking an inventory. A situation is set up in which the patient is asked to take in and to process visual information and then to take some action, which the optometrist then observes. These tasks begin at low levels of development in many areas and work to higher and more demanding abilities. The testing usually pushes patients to their limits in many areas so that the Behavioural Optometrist can obtain a profile of their overall visual abilities. This profile reveals areas of good or even exceptional development. It also reveals areas of inadequate or even non-existent abilities. From this profile of abilities the Behavioural Optometrist can recommend to the patient several alternative treatment plans.
Treatment Alternatives
The three treatment alternatives available to the Behavioural Optometrist are:
- Compensatory lenses
- Treatment lenses
- Vision therapy