AAOpt 2026: Equipping your amblyopia toolbox

Magdalena Stec, OD, FAAO; Noreen Shaikh, OD, FAAO; Huizi Kelly Yin, OD, FAAO; and Brenda Bohnsack, MD, PhD, of Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago discuss an “amblyopia toolbox” for pediatric practice in an exclusive interview with Optometry Times. Their presentation, titled “Rapid Fire: Amblyopia Toolbox for Pediatric Patients in Your Practice,” is aimed at general optometric practitioners and focuses on evidence-based ways to manage amblyopia, including options beyond conventional patching.

The speakers describe several treatment approaches, including patching, atropine, and newer device-based options such as Luminopia and CureSight. They emphasize that these tools are not mutually exclusive: clinicians can combine approaches, for example using patching alongside atropine or Luminopia. Offering more than one option can also give children some choice about what they do on a particular day or week.

A central theme is that amblyopia treatment should be individualized. Each child has different abilities, preferences, and willingness to follow a treatment plan, so clinicians may need to experiment and be creative to find an approach that is workable. The speakers say that treatment practicality for the individual patient matters—not only which option has the strongest evidence. They also point out that treatment fatigue is real: a child may improve with patching but eventually become tired of it and stop following the plan. Switching or combining treatments can help address that fatigue.

Stec, Shaikh, Yin, and Bohnsack also highlight the importance of family communication. Treating a child involves building rapport not only with the patient but with the family. Clinicians should explain the treatment and set expectations clearly so parents are less likely to feel overwhelmed or surprised by what lies ahead. Positive encouragement for both children and families is another important part of helping treatment succeed.

The speakers note that examining children requires different clinical skills from examining adults; children are not simply “little adults,” and amblyopia is a pediatric-specific condition. They express appreciation for collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists, including teams that support each other’s roles and bring both perspectives to patient care.