RE: Color vision problems?

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My almost 5 year old still has issues with color identification. I have

been puzzled by this for a while. I am not sure if there is a possibility

that he could be color blind or if it is his motor planning. In addition to

being severely apraxic he has universal motor planning problems. He can

match colors without any problems using his iTouch but when it comes to

identification he does poorly. He has word approximations for red, blue,

green, yellow, purple (he says very well no final constant) but when you

point to a color and ask him what color it is 9 out of 10 times he will get

it wrong. If you say to him point to the red square again 9 out of 10 times

he will get it wrong.

However, he does have quite a bit of letter and number recognition so the

colors are puzzling to me. I don't have any answers for you yet. At this

point I am leaning with the motor planning being the issue. He just

recently master potty training which was also puzzling to me but he finally

got it (after I tried everything) but again I think the motor plan caused a

lot of that too.

We do have an appointment with an ophthalmologist coming up so maybe I will

have more information for you.

(mom to 3 awesome boys, youngest one who is severely apraxic.)

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of

Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 8:42 AM

Subject: [ ] Color vision problems?

I was just wondering if any of your children have had any problems with

color vision. During our IEP Meeting, we brought up concerns that our almost

4 year old son continues to have problems with color identification. They

kindly offered to administer a color vision screening test.... My Son did

not pass. We all are not sure if a lack of comprehension played a part in

the result... but it was suggested that we take him to a specialist for

further follow up.

Have any of you seen this in your children?

[Guest guest]

I agree the specialist is a great idea because if you read the literature on the

(mainly) boys that are color blind these kids are misdiagnosed with learning

disabilities due to their visual impairment.

But outside of actual testing, it is still possible preschool children that have

communication impairments that are multifaceted have lags -and just have so much

on their plate working on other things right now.

I did find reference that while only 1 percent of girls are truly color blind

that around 10 percent of boys are -so that's quite high I believe -so very big

chance more people are dealing with this than know they are -seems it goes

undiagnosed for many unless it's severe. So again I would say testing with the

ophthalmologist is a great idea.

" For these kids, red, orange, yellow and green are simply different names for

the same color. Approximately 10 percent of boys are colorblind, while only half

of 1 percent of girls lack full color vision. This genetic deficiency usually

passes from mother to son in alternate generations. You might think someone who

is colorblind only sees in black or white — like watching an old black-and-white

movie on TV. But that's not true. It's extremely rare to be completely

colorblind. Most kids who are colorblind can see color. They just don't see the

same colors as the rest of us. "

http://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/childhood-conditions/col\

orblind-kids.htm

Colorblind Testing and Lifestyle

" If a learning disability is suspected, an eye exam by a pediatric

ophthalmologist is appropriate to rule out colorblindness, " says Steidl. The

tests consist of displays made up of different colored dots with numbers hidden

inside. A test for younger children contains simple objects hidden in the dots —

objects that young kids recognize like circles, stars and squares. A child who

is colorblind can't see the numbers or objects hidden inside the dots. "

http://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/childhood-conditions/col\

orblind-kids1.htm

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