What to Do If You Think Your Child Is Color Blind
Young children learn so much at an early age. They learn to walk, talk and recognize different things – people, animals, numbers, letters and colors. And it turns out that the way we use colors in English – usually before names or before nouns – doesn’t help. We tend to say, “There is a blue car,” rather than “there is a blue car,” which makes it harder for a child to understand what makes it “blue” in a car.
But what if your child seems to always mix red and brown, even if your instincts tell you that he should already be able to distinguish between the two colors? You may ask if they are color blind.
What is color blindness?
To begin with, the term “color blindness” is used incorrectly. This means that a person with this condition cannot see any color. But more often than not, color blindness is a lack of certain colors, usually reds and greens, but sometimes blues, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology . For example, a person with red-green color blindness may see red and green as the same color and may have difficulty identifying colors that have traces of red or green, such as purple and brown.
If you’re, like me, wondering how this actually happens in the eye, the AAO is here for us:
There are two types of cells in the retina that detect light. They are called rods and bumps. The rods only detect light and darkness and are very sensitive to low light levels. Cone cells detect color and concentrate near the center of your vision. There are three types of cones that see color: red, green, and blue. The brain uses the data from these cones to determine our perception of color.
Color blindness can occur when one or more of the color cone cells are missing, not working, or showing a different color than normal. Severe color blindness occurs when all three cones are missing. Moderate color blindness occurs when all three cones are present, but one cone is not functioning properly. It defines a color other than normal.
Who is in danger?
Boys are much more likely to be color blind than girls, and it is estimated that about 1 in 10 men have some degree of the condition. Rob Darzinkevich, chief physician at Hazel Health , tells Romper that the likelihood increases if the maternal grandfather is color blind:
“[Color blindness] is based on genetics. It is passed on from parents, usually from the mother. The gene for red-green and blue vision can be found on the X sex chromosome. Women have XX and men have XY. So if one X has a gene that doesn’t work and the other X does, you should probably be fine. This is why girls are rarely color blind. Boys receive only one gene X from their mother, and if it is defective, they risk a color deficiency. “
How do you check it?
Since color blindness does not actually affect visual acuity, it can be missed at routine appointments or eye exams. There is probably no reason to test for color blindness at all unless you have a family history or have other reasons to suspect it, such as if you regularly try to identify certain colors. But if you do, there are vision tests you can do at home with your child as an initial checkup; they just need to be old enough to figure out numbers – or at least be able to draw a line with their finger – usually by the age of 4-6.
These tests, known as the Ishihara tests , are named after the Japanese ophthalmologist Ishihara Shinobu, a professor at the University of Tokyo who developed screening for the military in 1918, according to the AAO . They are widely available on the Internet and consist of colored dot patterns showing numbers or a swirling line in the center for a non-color blind person to see.
If your child does not see a number or pattern, the ophthalmologist may also do additional color blindness tests to help diagnose the condition.
If your child is color blind, now what?
There is no cure for congenital color blindness, unlike color blindness acquired later in life, for which there may be treatment options. This shouldn’t cause serious health or disability issues, but it can cause embarrassment or frustration. Darzinkevich tells Romper that it’s important for parents to start by looking at how their child views the world:
“You can always change your mindset every day: ‘we’re parked by a street lamp’ instead of ‘we’re parked by a red car’ or ‘let’s try this striped shirt’ instead of ‘let’s try this green shirt.’ If they are discouraged, it may have something to do with their color perception, so don’t be afraid to ask. Let them know that you are here, that you care, and that you want to learn from their experience. “
In addition, here are several ways parents can protect their children with color blindness, especially in elementary school:
- Talk to the teacher about what your child sees so that he can avoid playing games or activities based on distinguishing between certain colors.
- Ask teachers to mark colors on prominent or important message boards and other displays in the classroom.
- Indicate markers, crayons, or other art supplies that might be confusing to them so that it is easier for them to choose the color they are told.
- Ask the teacher to write on the whiteboard in black (or white chalk on the blackboard) rather than in color.
And most importantly, talk to your child about his condition so that he understands that the way they see colors is different from most other people, and that you can ask for help.