Every day we are subjected to thousands of attempts to persuade us to believe something, do something or buy something. Everyone use their most persuasive language. Often to the point of the ridiculous. When it comes to children's eyes you would think that the various professional fields would have, if not similar views at least be cooperative about what is the best approach. Unfortunately that is not the case. Each profession or sub-section of a professional field often have a dogmatic view of what is right and wrong.

Who are the doctors?

In the eye care professions there are two major professional fields involved. Ophthalmology and Optometry. Both have many specializations and sub-categories and both have powerful professional assocations.

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (M.D.) who have taken a four year post graduate course in Ophthalmology, their title is D.O. The training of ophthalmologists is focused on the diseases of the eye and drugs and surgery are their main methodologies. An ophthalmologist undergo about 6 weeks of training in refraction so they can prescribe glasses if necessary. They have virtually no exposure to the ideas of vision training or other aspects like the mental and psychological aspects that influence visual perception. Some ophthalmologists specialize in Pediatric Ophthalmology or in Strabismus.

Ophthalmic technicians assist ophthalmologists in surgery and in pre- and post-operative care. They undergo about 2 years of training to become certified.

Optometrists have completed four years in a professional graduate program. Their title is D.O. The field of optometry is focused on measuring vision and prescribing corrective lenses. Optometrists are also trained in detecting symptoms of systemic diseases that shows up in the eyes. One such example is diabetes which is often first detected in an eye test. Optometrists do not treat such diseases.

Within the field of optometry there are several areas of specialization. Such as contact lenses, sports vision, developmental behavioral optometry, pediatric optometry, vision training, learning disabilities etc. The majority of optometrists are in general practice and are mostly concerned about fitting and selling glasses and assessories.

Opticians are the people who actually make the glasses. They are required to do a 1 - 2 year associate degree to become certified. However, this can be optional. Consequently opticians are not extensively trained and are mostly concerned about making and selling glasses and the frames that comes with the glasses.

Behavioral optometrists are a group of optometrists that has gone through a fellowship program focusing especially on vision training. One such program is offered by the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (C.O.V.D.). These professionals focus on visual functions in general and want to minimize the use of optics. There are very few of them. For example in 2005 there were only 50 members of BOPA the British Behavioural Optometrist Association.

Vision therapists are trained to design and implement vision therapy programs. They are usually the people that do the actual vision training after the behavioral optometrists has determined what in needed. The training of vision therapists vary and are often in-house training on the job with the optometrists they are working for. Under this category there is also another group of people who are inspired by Dr. William Bates. The Bates Teachers want to completely eliminate lenses of any kind.

Vision trainers, as the name implies, focus on teaching you the vision techniques that are suitable for your particular vision problems. They also pay attention to the psychological and emotional aspects of vision as well as motivating you to succeed

Ophthalmologists for the most part do not believe that vision training works. They say that any research supporting vision training is flawed. Eye exercises or vision training is a waste of time and money. In a policy statement issued by the American Academy of Ophthalmology it is written:

"...No scientific evidence supports claims that the academic abilities of children with learning disabilities can be improved with treatments that are based on 1) visual training, including muscle exercises, ocular pursuit, tracking exercises, or 'training' glasses (with or without bifocals or prisms), 2) neurologic organizational training (laterality training, crawling, balancing board, perceptual training), or 3) colored lenses. These more controversial methods of treatment may give parents and teachers a false sense of security that a child's reading difficulties are being addressed, which may delay proper instruction or remediation. The expense of there methods is unwarranted, and they cannot be substituted for appropriate educational measures. Claims of improved reading ... are almost always based on poorly controlled studies that typically rely on anecdotal information. These methods are without scientific validation. Their reported benefits can be explained by the traditional educational remedial techniques with which they are usually combined."

American Academy of Pediatrics, January 1984.

American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus, February 1984,

American Academy of Ophthalmology, February 1984.

Revised and approved September 1998

A total of 24 studies are listed as references to the above statement

One year later the American Optometrist Association published a special report on "The Effectiveness of Vision Therapy in Improving Visual Function," 1985. They concluded:

"I response to the question, "How effective is vision therapy in remidiating visual deficiencies?,"it is evident from the research presented that there is sufficient scientific support for the efficacy of vision therapy in modifying and improving oculomotor, accommodative, and binocular system disorders, as measured by standardized clinical and laboratory testing methods, in the majority of patients of all ages from whom it is properly undertaken and employed.

The American Optometric Association reaffirms its long-standing position that vision therapy is an effective therapeutic modality in the treatment of many physiological and information processing dysfunctions of the visual system. It continues to support quality optometric care, education, and research and will cooperate with all professions dedicated to providing the highest quality of life in which vision plays such an important role."

Position statement on vision therapy, J. Am Optom Assoc, 1985, 56, 782-83.

The above report is supported by more than 230 scientific studies published in respected peer reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Ophthalmology, Journal of the American Optometry Association, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

The question is just how many scientific studies does it take for something to be real and worthwhile? - - You decide.