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Behaviour/development

Colourblindness

9 replies

MissBetsyTrotwood · 31/07/2011 22:20

DS2 is 3 and can't do his colours yet. He knows blue and yellow but nothing else. Given that my granddad was colourblind, should I try and pursue this? Or am I being OTT and just let him learn in his own time. He's deaf and has other physical developmental issues too, but I'm not sure if these could be linked.

If you have or know a colourblind child, when and how was it diagnosed?

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KangarooCaught · 31/07/2011 22:28

Colourblindness is inherited from the maternal line afair, so won't have been passed on through his grandad. My dcs father is severely colourblind and we always knew they would never inherit the condition from him. It's very common at that age not to know their colours (dc2 didnt), without any additional contributory factors. So I don't think you need to worry .

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acebaby · 31/07/2011 23:36

Not totally sure, but if it is your granddad, I think that counts as the maternal line.

Your DS2 will automatically be tested when they do the routine eye test in reception. However, There is no reason why you can't take him to have his eyes tested now if you have concerns. You could either go to a normal optician or ask your hv or pediatrician for a referral to the hospital childrens opthalmology clinic. as your DS has SN, I would go for the latter, as a hospital will be more used to young children (ds1 went a couple of times because of a suspected squint)

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LackaDAISYcal · 01/08/2011 00:00

Very common at this age to either get mixed up or not know them at all. If you are concerned though you can get some pictorial versions of the number charts (can't remember the technical name for them), do if he can see the picture then he is prob. OK. I'll try find a link but am on my phone so linking might be a prob. My DS is colourblind and wasn't diagnosed till a routine eye test at 7 years old. He never had any probs naming colours though, just his red and green look different to everyone elses!

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MissBetsyTrotwood · 01/08/2011 07:39

Thank you so much all. You are all both reassuring and informative! He is due an eye test at Moorfields this year as, with his hearing loss, all the other senses are regularly put through their paces... At these appointments though they always ask if you have any concerns and I just didn't know if it were something worth mentioning or not. It certainly sounds, from your great posts, that it's not to be worried about yet and diagnosis would happen in a few years anyway.

Can't face mentioning it to the HV though. He goes regularly to be weighed and I know she'll be all cats-bum-mouth about it - she has been about other things that absolutely came to nothing. Plus, we're in the system anyway and he'll see someone who is an actual expert fairly soon.

So thanks again. A moment where I love MN [happy]

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MissBetsyTrotwood · 01/08/2011 07:40

Sorry. Meant !

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Octaviapink · 01/08/2011 07:56

Can he match colours? Ie if you pick up a red block, can he find another red block?

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SJisontheway · 01/08/2011 08:42

Hi MBT. Was It your mothers father or your fathers father. If it was your mothers father then there is a reasonable chance you carry the gene. It's very common though and nothing to get overly worried about. It's in our family too.

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applepies · 01/08/2011 14:13

OP

I really hope you dont find my post unhelpful, but I am not really sure why you are concerned? Whyever would you want to mention it to your healthvisitor?

If your son is colourblind then there is nothing that can be done about it. It isnt a disease or illness and I would be very hard pressed indeed to call it a disability.

Within a year or two you wont need a sight test in order for you as a parent to work out whether or not he is colourblind - my son is very colourblind but if people dont make an issue of it that it seems not to bother him at all.

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MissBetsyTrotwood · 01/08/2011 16:49

I'm not worried exactly - DS2 has plenty of other, bigger issues I need to worry about. It's just something I'd like to know about... The bigger picture for him is that we still don't know what causes his hearing loss. It could be one of the first manifestations of a syndrome that eventually causes sight loss and severe loss of mobility. The sooner we know of any unusual elements (if there are any) in any part of his development, the better.

I certainly don't think it's a disability - hence posting it here instead of SEN! We have to see our HV for developmental checks quite regularly and she always asks questions like can he count/hold a pen etc.

And yes, it's in my mum's side.

All the posts are helpful - I just don't know anyone who has this as my granddad died about 25 years ago. Thank you again!