Around 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women are color blind to some degree, according to The Wall Street Journal. Unfortunately, many are not even aware they have a color-vision deficiency until they apply for a job that requires distinguishing between different colors or shades. Similarly, many children with color blindness are often misdiagnosed with a learning disability when they are unable to distinguish colors during school activities, so it is important to be on the watch for signs and symptoms of this eye health issue.
Below are five early signs and symptoms of color blindness parents can keep an eye out for:
1. Color Blind Awareness says one sign that could indicated color blindness is a low attention span during coloring tasks. Other issues to watch for when your child is coloring worksheets or painting include using the wrong colors for objects with defined colors, such as using purple for grass or orange for water.
2. Suffering from headaches when looking at a red object on a green background or a green object on a red background is another sign a child may have a color-vision deficiency. Your child may also complain that his or her eyes hurt when looking at this combination of colors.
3. Medline Plus suggests to be watchful for mistakes made while learning colors. Your child may be unable to tell the difference between shades of the same color or between similar colors.
4. Color Blind Awareness also says difficulty understanding tasks at school could indicate color blindness, if the activity involves differences in colors.
5. Leaving electronic devices turned on after you have asked your child to turn it off could be another indicator of a color-vision issue. This may not be due to disobedience or forgetfulness but simply that your child cannot tell the difference between the on and off lights.
If you suspect that your child may be color blind, make an appointment with your optician or ophthalmologist. While it is recommended that your child receives a color-vision test between the age of 3 and 5, according to The Wall Street Journal, you can always talk to your child’s doctor if you notice any signs of a problem later on. The most important thing is to seek a diagnosis as soon as you can. When professionally diagnosed, you will be able to seek specific support from your child’s school and doctors to ensure the color blindness does not affect his or her learning.
Have you experienced a child being diagnosed with color blindness? If so, what steps did your eyecare practitioner recommend to help your child work through the issue? Leave a comment to share with the Real Kids Shades audience!