Orthoptists are university-trained allied health professionals who specialise in paediatric eye assessments, binocular vision and ocular movement disorders. An orthoptist will commonly assess children with vision or eye-related issues, as well as adults with double vision. Aside from diagnosing and conducting investigations into these conditions, they also provide management plans, which may include amblyopia treatment, prism fittings, and the use of Bangerter foils. Some orthoptists specialise in other areas such as general ophthalmology, driving assessments, low vision rehabilitation, education or clinical research.

Orthoptists can work in a number of different settings, including hospitals, private practices, low vision services, community health, clinical research centres, universities, or even retail (e.g. sales of ophthalmic devices/instruments). Orthoptist can work independently, jointly with ophthalmologists, or within multi-disciplinary teams. Think of occupational therapists, who may see you on an individual basis, in conjunction with doctors before or after an intervention to help you with rehabilitation, or with a team of professionals to co-ordinate eye care.