Australasian College of Behavioural Optometrists

ACBO has made  major  CE program changes and it became obvious at the Sydney conference that there is some confusion re the details.. which is understandable as there is a new format for developing the courses, and dates have yet to be finalised.
What follows is a description and timetable to help you get a better grasp of what is on offer.


The ACBO board wishes to reiterate the plan for 2010 so that it is understood by all:


The February Neuroscience-Applied conference  was a one-off  presentation and  discussion based around the research of Burkhart Fischer. This conference addressed in detail  the development of  key performance indicators within optomotor  and perception.  For example the saccade proficiency  in normal children of different ages and the difference in performance in children with dyslexia, ADHD, etc.  Discussion also explained his diagnosis and therapy equipment, and showed how the training of deficits translates to academic performance. Fischer's book is available from the ACBO bookshop for those who missed the conference.

The Neuro-Developmental Perspective (NDP) course is a 4 day in-depth seminar designed to facilitate those who seek  the latest of  Neuroscience research that  applies to Behavioural Optometry.  As this is a whole new program, aimed to eventually be available in DVD format, the same 4 days of information is planned to be delivered 3 times: in Queensland in June, in NSW in August and then in Victoria in October. All ACBO fellows and members are encouraged to participate ...each subsequent presentation is to be a refinement of the preceding...the goal being to have as much input as possible from members to help in the refining process.

In July in Victoria, ACBO will be presenting Professors David and Sheila Crewther who will be lecturing on Neuro Science and Neuro Cognitive Psychology  ...different again but obviously related to the new agenda. This will be followed immediately by a 1 day Fellows / Therapist  conference.

Once this theoretical groundwork has been laid , further CE can be delivered. This will include two series of 3-day Vision Therapy conference/workshops .  These will run in 2011 and are planned to  first  address VT  for treatable  Learning related Functional Vision problems , and then VT for Strabismus/Amblyopia. Again these will be all new format, tied into the Neuro-Developmental perspective.  In time introductory courses will also emerge.

In 2011 ACBO will also run a Practice Management seminar, discussing the logistics of organizing your practice around Clinic-Based Vision Therapy delivery.

The July 2011 National Childrens' Vision Conference will see the return to Australia of Bob Sanet who presented his Powerful Vision seminar here in 2001.