Martha Wright CO, COT

Martha Wright, CO is a Certified Orthoptist at Children’s Eye Care of Michigan with specialized experience in pediatric and adult strabismus, amblyopia, and testing of vision, eye alignment, and eye movements.

Martha took an unconventional path to orthoptics. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Landscape Horticulture from Michigan State University before returning to school to pursue a career in eye care. In 2011, she became one of the first graduates of Henry Ford College’s Ophthalmic Technology program and later became the first orthoptic student trained through Children’s Eye Care’s Orthoptic Training Program.

Martha completed the program through an intensive accelerated course of study and passed her written and oral board examinations in 2013, becoming a Certified Orthoptist through the American Orthoptic Council.

Orthoptic Expertise

• Pediatric Strabismus Testing — specialized measurement of eye alignment and eye movements in infants, children, and adolescents
• Adult Strabismus Testing — detailed sensorimotor testing for adults with eye misalignment and double vision
• Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) Testing & Follow-Up — visual acuity and alignment testing as part of physician-directed care
• Sensorimotor Examinations — detailed measurements of ocular alignment, motility, and binocular function
• Infant & Pediatric Vision Testing — age-appropriate methods for measuring vision in babies and young children
• Patient & Parent Education — helping patients and families understand testing and physician-directed treatment plans

The Role of an Orthoptist

Certified Orthoptists are highly trained eye care professionals who specialize in the evaluation of eye alignment, eye movements, and binocular vision. At Children’s Eye Care, our orthoptists work closely with pediatric ophthalmologists and adult strabismus specialists, performing specialized testing that helps physicians diagnose and manage conditions such as strabismus (eye misalignment) and amblyopia (lazy eye).

Orthoptists are especially skilled at evaluating infants and young children, using age-appropriate techniques to measure vision and eye alignment even when a child is too young to read an eye chart or describe what they see.

This collaborative approach is an important part of the specialized pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus care provided at Children’s Eye Care.

Experience & Orthoptic Training

Martha earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1996. She later returned to school to pursue a career in ophthalmology and, in 2011, became one of the first graduates of Henry Ford College’s Associate Degree program in Ophthalmic Technology.

Martha then became the first orthoptic student in Children’s Eye Care’s Orthoptic Training Program. She completed an intensive accelerated program in one year and, in 2013, successfully completed the written and oral board examinations to become a Certified Orthoptist through the American Orthoptic Council.

As part of the Children’s Eye Care orthoptic team, Martha also participates in the clinical education of ophthalmology residents training at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and contributes to the practice’s work in ocular motility research.

Putting Landscape Design to Work in Pediatric Ophthalmology

Martha’s first career may seem far removed from pediatric eye care, but her background in landscape and water design has found an unexpected second life at Children’s Eye Care.

Martha is the creative and technical mind behind the animated stuffed animals used throughout our exam rooms as pediatric fixation targets. Using the design and wiring skills from her earlier career, she transforms ordinary singing and animated plush toys into specialized tools our physicians, orthoptists, and technicians can activate from across the exam room.

The moving, singing animals help capture a child’s attention while the clinical team measures eye alignment at a distance—turning an important part of a strabismus examination into something much more fun for kids.

It’s one of the many ways we put More Fun. Less Tears. into practice.