Colour blindness

[eddie]

I have a LO 4 yrs old, can sort counters into similar colour sets (except red and orange) but cannot tell you the colour of anything when asked. I don't question as I know this is counter productive but she does not identify any item as having a colour. Could this be a sign of colour blindness?

I have googled the symptoms but am still not sure.

Does anyone have any experience/advice on this one?

[jillplum]

I had a little one like that. I knew he could see the different colours as he could sort the cars by colour but he just couldn't or wouldn't name a colour. If I asked him to find me a blue car he couldn't do that either. Very odd. I had never experienced it before. I spent ages doing colours with him eg cars and crayons etc and he did eventually get it. It seemed as if suddenly one day he could name the colours. Just keep repeating. I am sure they will get it eventually.

[JCrakers]

Sounds like it could be a sign.
although all children get to know their colours at different rates, I have a 2yr old who knows all her colours. If she's not showing any signs of wanting to know colours or not interested in colouring with pens, paints or finds it boring maybe.

Iv'e no real knowledge or experience of this but I think that its reds and greens that children can have a problem with, and any colour that uses red and green like orange, brown, purple.

When she colours a picture does she use green for the grass and trees?

Also I think a child is more likely to be colourblind if someone in the family is....

[eddie]

Thanks for the info. Don't know about family history but I will ask, I know it is rare for girls to be affected though.

She loves colouring but is still in the abstract stage so don't know about the trees! She seems interested and she knows she has a favourite colour but can' t tell me that its purple. She can't name any of them correctly but can tell if 2 items are the same so think it must be unlikely that she is colourblind as I think groups of colours look the same. Think I have just brain stormed it out on here :laughing:

I have discussed with Mom that it is best not to question ie what colour is this etc as it can be off putting. Hopefully one day it will all fall into place!

[Pipsqueak]

Its normally genetic but can be linked to other conditions such as diabetes
Its more prevailant in males
There are degrees of colour blindness from not seeing colour (unable to see the spectrums red blue and green - most common is red and green) as others do to not seeing it at all


i would recommend pointing towards a GP or Optician

however at this age many children can't distinguish colours accurately

[dette]

my stepson was just like this until he was nearly 5 then it fell into place..i tried everything.he could sort but didnt know the names.i taught one of mine with tellitubbies but it backfired when she insisted on calling red ...po and yellow .laa laa !!! so i made up rhymes po is red and sleeps in a bed etc and then we were ok :)

[hectors house]

I have a little girl who is nearly 2 1/2 she is very bright but when I ask her what colour is that paint, pen whatever she gives me a random colour - but if I turn it round and ask her to give me the red like mummys car pen, or blue like the sandpit, or yellow like the sunshine or green like the grass she gives them to me generally correctly - also she won't count unless I ask her to do something like being helpful eg: can you give X 4 grapes please. Sometimes I think she is doing it on purpose and other times I'm not sure if she has a problem. I must admit I have been delaying doing her 2 year check hoping it will click and I can add it to her achievements.

So can your child identify different colours if you ask for the green or whatever colour counters or is she just able to differentiate between the colours to sort them (other than red & orange)? - In her defense those colours are next to each other on a colour wheel and I have a problem between red & pink (well my family think I do - but I know my pink hat is PINK it is not RED)!:laughing:

[rachelle]

Both my kids are colour blind and one can see what colour a pen is in a pot but couldn't pick it out if with other similar colours, similarly can't distinguish certain colours on certain backgrounds. (can't see green pen on the white board or pick out shades at all)

The other one is worse and categorises all colours as pale or dark! He asks if he needs a certain colour and normally won't mention them at all!

It's thought that the female passes on the gene to the male - my dad is colour blind.

[eddie]

Lots of interesting points so far - seems like it has many different forms. I will ask if there is any family history as a start. If I ask her to hand me a green object she really has no clue and if I say point to the red/green/purple one she never gets it right she is able to say the colour names and sorts fairly well.
Mom is a teacher so am just wondering if it is being drilled in at home and she has just switched off? I know that they are frustrated that she can't get it.

[loocyloo]

i used to nanny a little boy, who aged 3, when asked what colour a particular item was, would name every colour BUT the colour needed. then if you tried another item in another colour, he would use the colour name he didn't say before, before then using every colour BUT the colour you know you heard him say the time before! drove everyone potty!

but once everyone stopped asking him to name colours, he then named everything acuratley as long as it was in context!

[hectors house]

Lots of interesting points so far - seems like it has many different forms. I will ask if there is any family history as a start. If I ask her to hand me a green object she really has no clue and if I say point to the red/green/purple one she never gets it right she is able to say the colour names and sorts fairly well.
Mom is a teacher so am just wondering if it is being drilled in at home and she has just switched off? I know that they are frustrated that she can't get it.

The little one I mind who can't name colours - don't know why she won't but she also won't count out loud and then the other day I heard her dad say - "come and get your shoes on - I'm going to count to 5" and had a :idea: moment that maybe she sees numbers as a negative thing?

So wonder with your little one if it is a control thing - not co-operating?

[eddie]

The little one I mind who can't name colours - don't know why she won't but she also won't count out loud and then the other day I heard her dad say - "come and get your shoes on - I'm going to count to 5" and had a :idea: moment that maybe she sees numbers as a negative thing?

So wonder with your little one if it is a control thing - not co-operating?

I think this may be it. Mom says no colour blindness in the family but that LO frequently calls black 'dark'. I will back right off and see if we have any progress that way which will be hard as my other LO is big into colours at the moment!