support behavioural management approaches, and the paucity of controlled trials, in particular, represents a major challenge to the credibility of the theory and practice of behavioural optometry." behavioral optometry has been proposed as being of benefit for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism – this proposal is based on the idea that since people with these conditions often have abnormal eye movement, correcting this may address the underlying condition. evidence supporting this approach is, however, weak; the american academy of pediatrics, the american academy of ophthalmology and the american association for pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus have said that learning disabilities are neither caused nor treatable by visual methods. sports vision training practitioners of sports vision training claim to be able to enhance the function of an athlete's vision beyond what is expected in individuals with already healthy visual systems. history various forms of visual therapy have been used for centuries. the concept of vision therapy was introduced in the late nineteenth century for the non-surgical treatment of strabismus. this early and traditional form of vision therapy was the foundation of what is now known as orthoptics. in the first half of the twentieth century, orthoptists, working with ophthalmologists, introduced a variety of training techniques mainly designed to improve binocular function. in the second half of the twentieth century, vision therapy began to be used by optometrists and paramedical personnel to treat conditions ranging from uncomfortable vision to poor reading and academic performance. it has also been claimed specifically to improve eyesight and even to improve athletic performance. behavioral optometry behavioral optometry is considered by some optometrists to have its origins in orthoptic vision therapy. however, vision therapy is differentiated between strabismic/orthoptic vision therapy (which many optometrists, orthoptists and ophthalmologists practice) and non-strabismic vision therapy. a.m. skeffington was an american optometrist known to some as "the father of behavioral optometry". skeffington has been credited as co-founding the optometric extension program with e.b. alexander in 1928.