How Can I Tell If My 3 1/2 Yr Old Is Color Blind?

If he knows his numbers there is an easy test that you can get online. Just google color blindness test and it'll bring up pages with the test. A normal sighted person will see one number when a colorblind person will see another number. It's a pretty cool test. I think my son is red/green colorblind, it's the most common.

My son is three now, and he does this on purpose all the time just to "be silly". There is a game he likes to play on the computer (I sit with him and help him), but he likes to click on the WRONG answers on purpose or tell me the wreong answer when I ask him something just because he thinks it is funny. Like another parent said, I was told that he might just get bored with such games easily because he knows the answers. So it's not fun for him anymore. I don't know what will happen if he ever needs to take a test or something! If you're concerned I would get him tested, but if the doctor says nothing is wrong, then he might just be bored.

Hi, B.. Please take him to a specialist and don't guess at whether or not he's colorblind. If he doesn't know his numbers and letters yet, it may be too soon to tell, but let the specialist figure this out.

Peace,
Syl

When it comes to your childs health, I don't believe you should try to figure anything out. Call your ped office and ask their advice on how to proceed. He may be too young for color blind testing. There may be other vision issues that effect the ability to see color that you arent even aware of. Most kids begin knowing colors at 18-24 months, you need to address this immediately.

mine is two 1/2 and we ask her to tell us the color when she wants something! Like which cup she wants and which fruit she wants, the only color she truely mixes up is Blue and purple! Maybe try this with his outfits, when he get dress let him decide!

Try searching online for free color blindness tests. I found a few that were kid oriented. It had a picture of a boat or something instead of the typical numbers or letters.

The best way to tell is to take him to the eye doctor who can give him a color blindness test. It's called an Ishihara test. It's a book with a bunch of color plates in it. Each plate has a colored number on it and the child has to say the number. Or they can trace it if they aren't good with their numbers. The Ishihara test can tell if someone is colorblind and what the deficiency is (i.e some people are red-green colorblind).

I'm curious. Is he smart? Seriously. My kids are much older now (almost 11 and almost 8) but I really don't remember quizzing them on their colors much. I think most kids his age, if you have interacted with them with books, puzzles, etc, have a really good grasp of their colors. Perhaps he is playing games with you. If he finds the question too easy, he might be messing around making things more complicated for his own enjoyment. It could be an early sign of giftedness. If you are really concerned that he is not seeing a difference in color, then ask his pediatrician about it.
A simple way to check this, particularly if you suspect he is "playing" you, would be to arrange several items (washcloths?) of different colors on the table. Then ask him, from a different room, to bring you the __ (green, or blue, or whatever) one. Just ask for the ONE. Then drop it. Later in the day, do a similar "experiment" and ask for a different color of some other object. He should be focused more on "helping Mommy" than think ing that you are "testing" him. Don't let on that you are "testing" in any way. Make it something that he is "helping" you with. If he brings you the right colors, then you probably have no worries. My children are very intelligent, and when I "quiz" them on things that are no challenge to them, my gifted child will often do/say the opposite of what the answer is... because otherwise it is boring to her.

I have a son who was found to be color-blind. The only way to tell for sure is to take him to an optometrist or ophthalmologist who will do a specific test.

As for me, I already knew it ran in the family. In most cases, the mother is the carrier, and the males will get it. My great grandfather happened to be color-blind, and it was supposed to effect the grandchildren, but my grandmother had only daughters. So they became the carriers, and subsequently, their children (like my brother) were diagnosed with it. Now, a couple grandsons have it, as well.

Some are found to be only color-blind to certain "shades." My son or brother cannot see red or green. Since my son grew up, he has had to have someone ride with him, if he goes into a section of town where the red-lights are sideways.

So, if you have any more questions, let me know, and I'll try to be of more help. I felt so bad for my son, and my brother. But when the teachers knew, they allowed them to "miss" in class when it came to colors.

EDIT: Your son may or may not be color-blind, but a special test will determine that for sure. If he is, he will adjust. My son and brother both learned how to tell the "shading" difference between the red and green as they grew older. My cousin with the "shade" colored blindness... he just thinks certain clothes look awful on him, when they are actually complimentary. ((((smile)

God bless.

I heard red is considered brown. But this will be a doctor thing anyway. I would show him three of the same colored objects and see if he get them right. Good luck! Jen