New/Old Approach to Strabismus and Amblyopia Workshop

New/Old Approach to Strabismus and Amblyopia Workshop with Dr Paul Harris & Dr Rob Lewis

Date: 22/03/2025 (AEDT)

Venue: Rydges Melbourne, 186 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000

Provider: ACBO

Contact: Sarah Edwards, [E] info@acbo.org.au, [P] 0418 117 717

Activity Outline

This clinical seminar will provide the criteria for success in treatment of a patient with strabismus or amblyopia, by delivering a practical clinical and theoretical background for understanding the development of a normalized visual process for a patient who has been diagnosed with strabismus and/or amblyopia.

Practical instruction of vision therapy techniques which integrate the theory with practice will be at the heart of this course. Lens prescribing will be discussed in detail and Drs Lewis and Harris will use case histories from their own clinics to illustrate the important principles for effective lens prescribing. The format of this new seminar also has a strong emphasis on therapy, incorporating many practical demonstrations of therapy procedures, and will be of interest to those who have taken a similar course before, as well as those new to the subject. Experienced participants will gain strong insights which allow them to meet the needs of their patients more effectively.

Learning Objectives

• 1.1 1.Characterise the basic principles underlying the development of amblyopia and strabismus in order to ensure early detection and management 2.Explain treatment plans, including the chronology of development of problems, demographics and epidemiology.
• 1.2 1. Explain the individual differences in how amblyopia can develop, change and affect a child or adult, and how the amblyopia may respond to treatment 2. Express the individual differences in how strabismus can develop, change and affect a child or adult, and how the amblyopia may respond to treatment
• 1.3 1. Relate the basic principles underlying the treatment of strabismus, especially with regard to ocular muscle anatomy, physiology and functionality 2. Explain the effect of surgical and non- surgical treatments 3. Describe treatment plans to the patient.
• 1.4 1. Characterise the development and management of esotropia in children and especially in respect to accommodation, including accommodative convergent squints and partially convergent squints and their management. 2. Express the assessment requirements in children with esotropia including acuity, squint angle, eccentric fixation and ARC before devising a treatment plan
• 2.1 1. Recognise the significance of unexpected responses to treatment of amblyopia and strabismus which might indicate serious underlying neurological problems, and recognise the need to refer for advice. 2. Perform a binocular vision work - up including various versions of Hess charts. 3. Discuss the nature and significance of anomalous correspondence and how to test for it .
• 2.2 1. Explain by means of case histories how various binocular vision anomalies can be treated 2. Review the outcomes that should be expected from binocular vision treatment
• 2.3 1. Define how to go about approaching treatment of amblyopia and strabismus 2. List activities which can be used and in what order they need to be used in order to make significant improvements in visual outcomes. 3. Discuss how to develop a management plan for treatment of amblyopia and strabismus.
• 2.4 1. Characterise how to prescribe lenses for the patient who has amblyopia and strabismus in order to make improvements in visual outcomes. 2. Discuss how to develop a management plan using lenses where appropriate for treatment of amblyopia and strabismus.
• 3.1 Workshop 1. Describe how to use active methods of improving amblyopia as an alternative or adjunct to patching in patients with amblyopia or strabismus. 2. Recall how to use appropriate language and provide good simple explanations of exercises prescribed to help children to improve binocular and monocular visual function.
• 3.2 Workshop 1. Employ active methods of improving amblyopia as an alternative or adjunct to patching in patients with amblyopia or strabismus to eliminate suppression. 2. Discuss how to use appropriate language and provide good simple explanations of exercises prescribed to help children improve binocular and monocular visual function to eliminate suppression.
• 3.3 1. Apply active methods of improving amblyopia as an alternative or adjunct to patching in patients with amblyopia or strabismus to develop resilient binocular performance. 2. Employ appropriate language and provide good simple explanations of exercises prescribed to help children improve binocular and monocular visual function to develop resilient binocular performance.
• 3.4 1. Employ active methods of improving amblyopia as an alternative or adjunct to patching in patients with amblyopia or strabismus to facilitate development of simultaneous bi-ocular vision. 2. Describe how to use appropriate language and provide good simple explanations of exercises prescribed to help children improve binocular and monocular visual function, to facilitate development of simultaneous bi-ocular vision.
• 4.1 1. Reproduce active methods of improving amblyopia as an alternative or adjunct to patching in patients with amblyopia or strabismus to enable working with both eyes. 2. Restate how to use appropriate language and provide good simple explanations of exercises prescribed to help children improve binocular and monocular visual function, to enable working with both eyes.
• 4.2 1. Explain how to use active methods of improving amblyopia as an alternative or adjunct to patching in patients with amblyopia or strabismus using basic simple binocular activities. 2. Recall how to use appropriate language and provide good simple explanations of exercises prescribed to help children improve binocular and monocular visual function, when using basic simple binocular activities.
• 4.3 1. Describe how to use active computer vision therapy methods of improving amblyopia as an alternative or adjunct to patching in patients with amblyopia or strabismus. 2. Discuss computerised programmes and programmes which are widely available to licensed eye care practitioners to prescribe and be familiar with what they can do for a patient in managing their visual and binocular.
• 4.4 1. Define the principles of using red - green glasses and targets to ensure no suppression with active binocular tasks whilst the patient maintains binocular vision in all directions of gaze 2. Recall how to use appropriate language and provide good simple explanations of exercises prescribed to help children improve binocular and monocular visual function, integrating accommodation, in all positions of gaze.

Max CPD hours awarded: 24

Session Information