The story of OEPF started over 130 years ago, when Dr. A.M. Skeffington, the father of behavioral optometry, was born in Kansas City, Missouri on August 28.
A hero of vast dimension!
Dr. Skeffington taught us many things…
Vision is a learned skill that emerges.
Ocular discomfort occurs when visual achievement gets to the point of being unsatisfactory or becomes unacceptable to the person.
Through proper training, people can see more efficiently.
OEPF was founded in 1928 by A.M. Skeffington and E.B. Alexander.
E.B. Alexander, was Executive Director of the Optometric Extension Program: The organizational force behind the Foundation and a visionary optometric pioneer.
The OEP Foundation has its origins in a continuing education program developed by the Oklahoma Optometric Association for its members in the 1920s. Optometrists E.B. Alexander (the secretary of the Oklahoma Extension Program) and A.M. Skeffington (“the father of behavioral optometry”) have been credited as having established the OEP Foundation in 1928. The Foundation began with 51associates and has developed into an international non-profit organization with 10,000+ participants worldwide.
The story of OEPF is, however, not a story of either of the two men. While history will invariably associate these two leaders as an entity within a cause, history will do a disservice to fact if the impression remains that either, or both, of these men fully represent the Optometric Extension Program in all its diversified aspects, whether academic, clinical, or organizational. Rather, we all represent the combined history and vision of our diversified aspects of operations. Our Clinical Associates are the driving force for our innovations and continued passion, our instructors and lecturers provide expertise and comprehensive education to our participants, and our various editorial and publishing teams throughout the organization work tirelessly to ensure a smooth journey into the future of vision therapy.
OEPF is the only optometric foundation that publishes specialized books and journals for the profession. Four times per year, the Foundation publishes Optometry & Visual Performance (OVP). OVP is a free, international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the advancement of the role of optometry in enhancing and rehabilitating visual performance.
OEPF has always been built upon clinicians sharing with clinicians, veteran practitioners guiding those new to the profession or new to behavioral vision care. We encourage those with experience and expertise in a given area to write, to lead a study group, or to teach those who want to gain new insights. Research is very important to us, and we promote within the profession the need for quality research in our area of interest and expertise. We strive to demonstrate the efficacy of behavioral optometric care to other professionals, as well as to the public.
Our Mission:
To advance human progress through research and education on vision, the visual process, and clinical care.
Our Goals:
To foster a positive environment to advance human progress on vision, the visual process, and clinical care through research, education, and a dynamic network of professionals. OEPF commits to thinking long-term about the well-being of the organization and shares the passion of behavioral/developmental vision to provide for the visual welfare of the patients we serve. OEPF is a community that shares knowledge and supports one another, valuing driven determination in all members of our family.
Our Definition of Behavioral Optometry:
Behavioral optometry is a special branch of optometry. It deals scientifically and therapeutically with the development and quality of vision and basic visual functions. In the case of disorders of visual functions that occur in healthy eyes and brain (the disorders can be consequences of a disease), the impaired functions are analyzed and trained by means of individual systematic exercises (visual therapy) and optical corrections.
We believe that this definition allows for scientific research of our work. We understand that they are seen by some as limited, so please discuss, but with the goal of unifying, not dividing.