Children can see colour vision by about six months. As a child grows, parents may notice that their child can’t differentiate between colours. Colour vision deficits are an inherited gene, and parents may be even more aware that their child may have a colour vision deficit because of this. Though the “red-green” colour vision confusion can be inherited from a recessive gene carried by the mother, which means that a child may be colour vision deficiencies, even if both parents have normal colour vision. Most children can’t tell the difference between blue and purple, yellow and green, or pink and grey.
8% of Australians are colour blind, and it is most common in males
Colour vision deficits are often first discovered in children at school if not noticed earlier. Understanding and knowing colours helps children learn, and it helps with memory and recall. Without a diagnosis, some children may have trouble at school and be subject to bullying. Learning materials at school tend to be colour based, which frustrates and alienates children with colours vision problems. Colour blind children may not like to colour in pictures or want to play counting or sorting games with coloured blocks or beads.
However, once diagnosed, it is then up to parents to decide how to manage it from that point on. Some parents choose to purchase iRo Lenses to enable a child to see new more vibrant colours or even an iRo Lense testing kit to see beforehand. They help to differentiate between colours so that they may still know or be aware of the differences when they are not wearing the lenses.
Any of our distributors around Australia can test children for colour vision deficits from the age of five. Click here to find your nearest one
Your child could also try our Colour Vision test – click here
