Orthoptists diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.

  • Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.
  • Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.
  • Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans.
  • Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency.
  • Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.
  • Interpret clinical or diagnostic test results.
  • Develop or use special test and communication techniques to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of children or disabled patients.
  • Develop nonsurgical treatment plans for patients with conditions such as strabismus, nystagmus, and other visual disorders.
  • Provide training related to clinical methods or orthoptics to students, resident physicians, or other health professionals.
  • Refer patients to ophthalmic surgeons or other physicians.
  • Assist ophthalmologists in diagnostic ophthalmic procedures, such as ultrasonography, fundus photography, and tonometry.
  • Prepare diagnostic or treatment reports for other medical practitioners or therapists.
  • Collaborate with ophthalmologists, optometrists, or other specialists in the diagnosis, treatment, or management of conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal diseases.
  • Participate in clinical research projects.
  • Perform vision screening of children in schools or community health centers.
  • Present or publish scientific papers.
Work Context
  • Contact With Others — 100% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 100% responded "Every day".
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 95% responded "Every day".
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 70% responded "Extremely important".
  • Physical Proximity — 85% responded "Very close (near touching)".
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 70% responded "Extremely important".
  • Electronic Mail — 65% responded "Every day".
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Work Activities
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
  • Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
  • Develop medical treatment plans.
  • Test patient vision.
  • Test patient vision.
  • Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
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Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Skills

Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Science
  • Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Social Perceptiveness
  • Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Abilities

Problem Sensitivity
  • The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning
  • The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
  • Eye Tracking Exercises Enterprises Track with Letters
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