Yesterday Evan's teacher told me when I picked him up from school that she was shocked when she asked him to color something purple and he picked up a blue crayon and colored it blue. She asked him if he could tell the difference between the two colors and he said 'not really'.
Her concern made me concerned although I have noticed that he thinks blue and purple might be the same - I just didn't really think it was a big deal. She asked him how he usually tells the difference between the colors and he told her he just reads the color on the crayon paper.
Today I helped in his class and the school nurse called him to the office to have his eyes checked. She did the colored-dots test and he had a hard time seeing the pictures in the red/green, and blue/purple pictures.
I felt so bad because the whole time there, I thought he would start to cry. He seemed very somber and not quite sure what to think. I then explained to him that it doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with him, he just can't see colors like most people can. My dad is color blind and so I tried to 'talk it up' of how he and Grandpa are the same.
I'm not quite sure how to let him know that it's ok...how do I tell myself that it's ok?! The more I think about it the more sad I get because I know how much he loves art and colors and to think that he can't 'see' all the colors makes me sad.
A few questions I have myself:
Is color blindness very common?
Is it common for kids at such a young age?
What does he really see?
Is his 'color-world' going to be any different the older he gets?
How do I 'talk-it-up" so he doesn't worry about it and think something is wrong with him?
He does call blue things purple and purple things blue but all the other colors he seems to master.
6 years ago
7 comments:
My dad was color blind even when he was little. His sister would take full advantage of that, and tell him his plate was a different color than it actually was, so that she could have the blue one. :) I don't know how common it is, though.
You should talk to our dad! We grew up with colorblindness being not only something common, but something fun and funny, a quirk to enjoy in someone rather than a handicap.
As far as I understand, since colorblindness is genetic, he will most likely have been colorblind since birth.
To me, colorblindness isn't seeing colors wrong, it's just seeing them from a different perspective. This is just one of many ways that Evan is unique.
My brother is only red-green color blind. He had a hard time with olive and brown shades (mostly from a fashion sense, haha). But being that Mason doesn't know what he's missing in not being able to distinguish the colors, maybe it won't be so sad for him personally? Probably harder for the people who love him.
I wonder if it's like taste--you might love chocolate and think it's the very best food in the world. But I might not like it at all. You'd feel sad because I couldn't feel the thrill that you do. But I wouldn't care because I wouldn't know what you were feeling, wouldn't know the difference.
Just a thought.
Kim....it is your sister, K. I am a little colorblind. I have the same problem with blue and purple at times (I can't believe we've never had this conversation). I also think many greens are brown and Mom on many, many occasions has said, "that is as green as green". There isn't anything wrong with Evan at all, and he isn't missing anything (he can still see the colors similarily as you see them, they just look different to him than they would to you, but he can still see them.)
It doesn't bother me that I see something that I think is brown and Mom thinks is green, I still see the color and it is still beautiful, it apparently just looks different to me that it may to others.
Diane's (Aunt Diane) boys are all colorblind (Grandpa Head was). It apparently has something to do with the mother's genetic line.
Dad has told me many times that my boys may all be colorblind, as well as yours and Kenzie's, because you have that gene (from Dad) and he is colorblind.
Kenz is colorblind as well (I think she has it worse than I do).
Anyway, let Evan know he is in good company, and that nothing is wrong with him.
Love you, Me
Merridee (do you know her from the PTA?) found out her son in 1st grade was color blind last year. I don't think it's too young, I just think they find it earlier. That's one thing unique about Evan.
What a little sweetheart. You are such a good mom.
Hope you are feeling well.
Our son Steven is color blind and an artist. He compensates nicely and if he get frustrated with the color end of things he'll work in charcoals or pencil for a while. Has never been a major issue for him. Evan will be fine. Don't stress (you or him)and it will all work out.
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