Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a software-based system for treating amblyopia in children.Methods This was a prospective case control study.A software program was created based on the contemporary theory for the treatment of amblyopia.Fifty-one patients (86 eyes) were recruited for the study and they were randomly divided into two groups.The software program was used for the treatment group (44 eyes of 24 patients),while He-Ne laser exposure and Haidinger's brush were used for the control group (42 eyes of 27 patients).All patients were followed up for 3-6 months after one course of treatment.The effective rate between the two groups was compared,and pattern visual evoked potentials before and after the treatment in treatment group were recorded.An independent samples t test,chi-square test and Fisher test were used to analyze the data.Results The overall effective rate was 73％ in the treatment group and 57％ in the control group,the differences were insignificant.However,the differences between the rates of effectiveness were statistically significant in moderate amblyopic children (77％ in the treatment group,42％ in the control group,x2=5.662,P＜0.05) and ametropic amblyopes (74％ in the treatment group and 44％ in the control group,x2=4.337,P＜0.05).The mean P100 latency of the treatment group was slightly shortened after the therapy,but the differences were not statistically significant.The mean amplitudes after treatment showed definite increases and the differences were statistically significant (t=2.11,2.47,2.34,P＜0.05).Conclusion The function of the software-based amblyopia treatment system is comprehensive,and it is an effective device for amblyopia treatment.