Dr. William Bates was a pioneering ophthalmologist who practiced in the early 1900s. Dr. Bates realized that when he prescribed lenses, his patients' vision worsened. He realized that he was affecting symptoms but not the cause of poor vision. His life's work was to develop methods to teach people to improve their vision. The field of vision therapy has a history of pioneering optometrists who developed techniques to improve vision and also to help with learning disabilities, which are frequently related to vision and developing important skills.
Vision therapy is done by behavioral optometrists or their staff, vision therapists.
Vision Education Vision educators may be trained in the Bates Method or vision therapy techniques, or a combination of both. Vision educators work within an educational model, not a medical one. They do not diagnose or prescribe lenses. They may refer their students to optometrists who understand the art of prescribing lenses for therapeutic purposes. Please call or email if you'd like more information or have questions about your particular situation.