One of the first things a child learns in school is their colors. It’s exciting to watch a child identify the bright blue sky or fresh green grass. But what happens if you notice your child saying the wrong colors? Could this be a sign of color blindness?
Color blindness is usually noticed when a child starts learning the names of colors. However, Brooklyn NY eye specialists warn that simply naming the wrong color does not mean your child is color blind. There are other signs to watch for, particularly if this condition runs in the family.
It’s important to know that children with color blindness can see shapes, lines and everything else we can. They just think about color differently. With this in mind, here are four signs that your child is struggling to see colors.
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Trouble distinguishing between red/green or blue/yellow.
Red-green color blindness is the most common type of color blindness. It makes it hard to tell the difference between shades of red and green.
Another type of color blindness, though much less common, is blue-yellow color blindness. This makes it difficult to tell the difference between blue and green and between yellow and red. Some children have complete color blindness, meaning they see no colors at all.
It’s common for young children to confuse their colors or have trouble naming them. However, if you’re finding that your child is mixing up reds and greens or blues and yellows, it may be a sign of color blindness.
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Using the wrong colors on objects.
Your child’s artwork is a great tool for evaluating how they perceive color. If your child consistently uses the wrong colors for objects, such as red on tree leaves or blue on the sun, this could indicate color blindness.
Another thing to pay attention to is your child’s attention span on coloring sheets. For example, does your child struggle to follow color-by-number pages? Do they have a low attention span when coloring? This could be because they’re having trouble identifying colors.
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A family history of color blindness.
Color blindness is usually an inherited condition that is passed down from the parents. If there is anyone on the mother’s side of the family with color blindness, this raises the chances for your child to develop the condition as well.
Kids usually start learning their colors by 18 months and should be able to identify all of the groups by age 5. If your child is struggling to do this, they may have a color vision deficiency that has been passed down.
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Greater reliance on other senses.
We use color to describe how something looks. But if a child has trouble telling the difference between colors, they’ll usually use their other senses. For example, you may notice your child touching their food before eating it or smelling things before describing them.
If your child is using their other senses to learn about the things around them, they may be compensating for the lack of color they see. Children with color blindness are good at hiding their condition because they don’t want to be perceived as different, so this is something to pay attention to as well.
Are you concerned that your child has color blindness? Contact an eye specialist in NY who works with children and can provide a thorough color blindness test. Empire Retina Consultants offers these tests and can help you and your child adjust to life with a color vision deficiency.