Colorblindness Issues

As a vetran teacher of 14 years, my advice is to educate the educators. I do not have experieince with students with colorblindness and would appreciate the information. You maybe a pioneer in getting this issue to be recognized-good luck!

They are colorblind, not blind. There aren't that many limitations that they will face. They can still see colors just not certain combinations of colors.

I am experiencing the same frustrations with my son's school. What people need to realize is that Color Vision Deficiency varies from person to person. One child might have a severe form, whilst anothera mild form. I am shocked at how many of the responses here are really insensitive to this growing issue. Yes, I know that my son will grow up to be successful. In fact, color vision deficiency is tied to high intelligence. My concern is that he encounters many frustrations during his day due to SmartBoards, computer programs, color printed teaching materials, colorful organizational methods, testing material that doesn't factor in his issues...and yes, one question can make a difference on a score. In fact, my son was given an intelligence test (WASI) that states that color blind students should be excluded from the test due to color issues on the non-verbal portion. Not one "expert" knew that until I Googled it! Factor in that bullying has become epidemic in our country and it makes for a stressful learning environment for a child with CVD. As an educator myself, I am privy to the amount of work that is placed on the shoulders of teachers. This is a real issue for 1 out of every 8 boys. It is becoming increasingly difficult because of the media used in our classrooms. We need to have the ability to obtain 504's for our kids. Yes, I know it isn't blindness, and yes, I realize that some of you may have father's who are chemical engineers or doctors (I am supposing that they had very accommodating lab partners for chemistry...just ask them)....However, each child is different and most of these comments are a perfect reminder of how education has become a bastion for mediocrity. I have had teachers say, "Well, how color blind is he?" and "he can see green and red" and "Don't shelter your son" and "He colored the leaf purple when it said to color it blue so I marked it wrong" and even had a teacher throw his self portrait in the trash and send him to a table to sit alone...all in punishment for him coloring his skin green, because the oil pastels weren't labeled. Now we all have something....we all will survive...but wouldn't it be nice to save our kids from embarrassment and frustration by simply making ourselves more AWARE? www.colourblindawareness.org

I agree with the majority of the other posters. My husband is also colorblind. He's known since 3rd grade; no accomodations were ever made for him, he did very well in school without difficulty, and he graduated 1st in his class at nursing school and top in his class with his masters degree as a physician assistant. He has never felt that his education or ability to learn was hindered by being colorblind. As other posters have said, I need to help him sometimes distinguish between shades (it's purple, not blue; that's green, not black, etc.) when it comes to matching shades of clothing. But it's not by any means a learning disability, so I don't know what you are expecting from the school. I agree it's important for their teachers to know, so they'll understand if a question comes up from the child and they need some help distinguishing with some colors, but otherwise... It almost sounds like you're setting your children up to expect accomodations and for people to make exceptions for them, and I don't think that's necessary. I had my husband read your post before I replied, and he agreed that he never felt like he needed any extra help to make it through school and has done very well.

Hi K., I have a few questions and some advice. Are your boys having trouble understanding anything, or having trouble being successful? Basically, is there colorblindness effecting their studies? If they're obtaining mastery in all subjects, making A's and B's, then there's not really anything that a teacher should have to do. Accommodations are for people who are not obtaining mastery or performing on grade level. The best example that I like to use is this...if a person is bound to a wheel chair, in order to get to the second floor of a building, they would use the elevator. So, essentially if your boys can "take the stairs" with everyone else then they probably don't need an IEP or 504 plan. Anyhow, if your children are struggling with school and not performing, and you feel strongly that it is in fact their colorblindness, I would do three things. Talk to your doctor about what to do, do some research about being colorblind on your own, and then ask your school's diagnostician to test your kids.

Hope this helps:)

Keller is notorious for finding legal ways to ignore children's needs. It wasn't until we placed our child in private school that we learned about aaaaallllll the other parents out there facing the same problems.

If you plan to keep your children in public school I recommend researching the 504 laws or getting an attorney. There are advocates out there for our kids, too bad we need to use them for a school district! One thing you need to have ready is research on how color blindness may hinder your children's abilities. The smallest thing matters. Nothing is more powerful in an ARD than a mother prepared with research & documentation. Good Luck!

My maternal grandfather and one of my brothers was/is red/green colorblind. I'm not sure what kind of accommodations you would expect to be made for your boys.

When we were growing up, we only had B&W TV and my brother would occasionally comment on the color of someone's outfit based upon the shade of gray he was seeing on the TV. I only once played a nasty trick on him with some yard choosing three shades of green and asking him to pick the red, green, and gray strands.

I've asked him about his color blindness, and he indicates his only sometimes difficulty is with traffic lights at night especially if they are something other than a standard configuration. For example, a horizontal array would cause a problem although a vertical would not because the green is always on the bottom.

My brother graduated from college summa cum laude with a triple major in history, economics and math. He got a perfect score on the LSAT and graduated from Stanford University Law School. He worked for several top law firms in NYC and now runs owns an investment fund.

My grandfather was an executive with International Harvester and led a full and active life. He passed away at age 94 three weeks from his 95 birthday. He was partially blind in one from his early 20's until his 80's because a fire cracker exploded in his face (not his fault). That injury was repaired through modern surgery techniques and he eventually went blind as a complication of late onset diabetes in his late 80's.

Unless there is some compelling problem your sons' color blindness causes, I say just chill! I asked my brother about the effects of his color blindness (he's 51 now) and I take it that he sees the world in shades of gray since red and green comprise most of the color spectrum. I guess it's like seeing the world as a black and white TV program. He's never known any differently, so it's not big deal.

Red/green colorblindness is a hereditary issue like man-pattern baldness. It rarely effects women, but women are the carrier. It generally skips a generation, so my grandfather had it and then my brother, but my uncle does not.

Schools simply do not have the financial resources to give all types of medical diagnosis. If you feel they need more services then specifically suggest what they need to the teachers and 504 team. You can also get support from the Child Study Center in Fort Worth. Please keep in mind that schools do their best to teach all children which is why they are unable to specialize in each and every disability in the book and teachers are HUMAN and cannot possibly understand every disability. I know you are frustrated, but when you are in a classroom coping with students who have, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, food allergies, autism (from mild to severe), hearing impairments... there is so much for each teacher to do that it is difficult to simply plan a lesson and modify it to each child for every subject every day. In my experience they do their best to do what is best because they aren't in this career for the lucrative money making job- they generally love all kids- your included.

I am confused by your posting though... you said "there is not much of a chance for them school to be able to do anything", I don't understand how colorblindness is preventing them from reading/ math/ science/ social studies/ music... I am sure there are a few activities that they would struggle with but everything?

I can appreciate your frustration for your children, but if you feel the teachers are not well informed about this issue then as a parent I DO feel it is your responsibility to educate them on what they need to know. Give them brochures and websites and current articles on the issue so they can understand. Don't expect them to spend hours away from their families and planning time to do all the research themselves.

My husband is colorblind. He wanted to be a fighter pilot and the military wouldn't take him because it's pretty severe. He lives normally though. I help him when it comes to putting ties with shirts, etc. He sees blue most clearly. When we first met all of his shirts were blue :)
I pick out paint for the walls at home. He doesn't ever act like it's a big deal. Just the way it is.

As far as "educating the educators", I believe my child's education is my responsibility. Teachers and others help me, but ultimately it's my responsibility. Continue to be an advocate for your son.

Blessings!
L.

I agree with the other posters...colorblindness, I am sure is hard to deal with but perhaps not a learning disability like dyslexia, etc. I am not trying to minimize the difficulty but it seems like your kids are still able to learn. I believe modifications are made(504 meetings)when a child has to have alternative methods to learn and comprehend academically. I think colorblindness is more prevalent than we think...people learn how to compensate for it and deal with it. Good luck and try not to worry.

Hey -
All the men in my family are color blind, so I worried that I would be a carrier and that my son would be color blind as well. He is only 5 and I haven't had him tested, but he does not appear to be color blind.

Anyway, in most classes, I don't htink you will have a problem. Be aware in science and art classes (Biology). Also, I have a friend who is color blind and he wore 1 red contact in one eye and that seemed to help him a lot.

My best recommendation is talk to your doctor. I grew up with my brother being color blind and it never really seemed to bother him. And, I work with several guys that are color blind. I think the key is that they are self aware that they are color blind and just ask for clarification on certain colors.

-L.

Hi K.,

What an interesting post! You will need to educate the educators, and I have heard that Keller school district is not easy to work with on special needs issues. That said, I have a completely different recommendation for you:

http://colorvibration.com/

The owner, Donna Reis, is a remarkable woman. A friend of mine had dyslexia for years and had tremendous problems reading on bright white paper. Donna suggested blue-tinted lenses, and my friend has not had a problem since. I really can't recommend her highly enough for using color and light to treat a whole range of problems, including ADD/ADHD and insomnia. It certainly can't hurt!

Peace and Joy,
M.
www.yogapotential.com

As a teacher AND mom of a kiddo with special needs, I can say without hesitation that yes, you do need to educate the educators. Teachers get lots of training these days, but colorblindness is such a rare condition that it doesn't really come up in any of the classes we take. Think of your own experience with colorblindness ... did you know anything about it, or how it affects learning BEFORE your sons were diagnosed? As the advocate for your kids, you should welcome the opportunity to get the word out about what will help your boys succeed in school. It's too bad the administrators responded the way they did, especially if colorblindness really is affecting your boys' education. But I have to admit ... I'm a little confused about why colorblindness would affect overall performance. In the lower elementary grades the kids do a lot of coloring (color the ball red, circle all the green triangles, etc.), so I can see how teachers should be willing to alter the work or instructions so your boys can show their knowledge in alternate ways. But by late elementary school, coloring has been phased out and it should be much less of an issue ... although there will probably be an occasional situation where it comes up. As for the TAKS test, those are printed totally in black and white, so colorblindness shouldn't interfere with obtaining a good score. I can see where a single question referencing color might throw your boys, but a single question isn't going to cause them to do poorly on the TAKS. Yes, educate the educators in a helpful, friendly way that will make them WANT to help your kids. Yes, they should be willing (and are required) to meet your kids' LEGITIMATE educational needs. But - and I'm saying this so you'll keep your eye on the ball - please be careful about blowing the whole thing out of proportion. An occasional problem might arise, but your boys should be able to learn and grow up just fine; they should lead full, productive, rewarding lives in spite of their colorblindness and the occasional items they might miss on school work because of it. Advocate for your kids ... just remember to keep things in perspective.

Interesting reading the answers. I am in the YES, color blindness CAN have a negative impact on school performance camp. Our children are being educated in a different world than we parents, and grandparents, etc. So the argument that we all know adults who are CB and successful - or who didn't suffer in school - is irrelevant to this topic.
My son is in 6th grade. His CB became evident when he was 6 and is severe. He is in the 99th percentile in math aptitude per testing done several years ago. But when our school district changed math curriculums, his math performance significantly deteriorated. Why? Because the new curriculum is designed to be graphically appealing, full of color and boxes of information displayed all over every page. Certainly this is helpful to most kids as their eyes are drawn to the important information. But my son cannot see those colors, and to him the pages appear as a jumbled mess with no one box or sentence standing out as more significant than the others. As a result, I am now homeschooling him in math and taking a closer look at the other ways his education is being hindered by a disability he doesn't even know to explain to someone - because he sees what he sees.

HI K.! My dad is colorblind, and his too was not discovered until he went in the Army. Colorblindness is not a disabling learning condition. He was number 1 in his high school and all the grades. He graduated suma cum laude of chemical engineering. He can't distinguish very well the red and the green, so he has to trust what color it is to other people, and to make sure his clothes match when they are the colors he cannot see. It is not that big of a deal, just kind of annoying. They'll do just fine in school. God Bless!

The school district doesn't even consider dyslexia a learning disability, they just process information differently. I know, my son is dyslexic.

If a child is deaf in one ear and has a high IQ, they don't qualify for special education. I know, my daughter is deaf in one ear. If they have ADD, that's just our problem and we have to teach them at home how to concentrate. I know, my kids are ADD.

These are really important issues I have dealt with all my kids lives.

But colorblindness? I'm curious. What does that mean? They usually can't distinguish between two colors, say blue and green look the same or red and orange. I know, my dad was and my son is colorblind. Now, your son's problem must be more severe, since I've never heard of it affecting their learning or needing modification. If they are being marked off because they used the wrong crayon or don't know what page to turn to, then yes, that should be addressed.

My son didn't even know he was colorblind until he joined the National Guard and they said he had to be a truckdriver instead of a medic. He wanted to be a medic and someday go into the medical field. I said, you're not joining unless you get to do what you want to do and they said, okay. So he's a medic. Still, no problems. He's also dyslexic. No problems. He is in Iraq. Of course, they didn't mind he was colorblind. He was supposed to get out in October and they deployed and sent him to Iraq in November.

I don't think your sons will have any major problems with colorblindess if it is like my son or dad. Like the other lady said, we just helped my dad pick out what shirts, ties and pants went together. If their colorblindness is so pronounced they need modification, then get the doctor to send a note about what kind of modification they need. I think they would have to abide by a medical diagnosis and provide some form of modification prescribed by the doctor.

Good luck, because when I had to deal with the school district about special education, I had to fight for everything. Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost. You just have to find a good advocate to be in your corner, be it the counselor, principal, teacher or district person that understands how important this is to your child. I know this is extremely important to you, but how difficult is it to your sons? Are they dealing with it okay or are they struggling because of it? My prayers are with you and your sons.

Good luck getting help for colorblindness, I have been fighting our district for over a year to get help with my sons SEVERE ADHD, sensory disorder, PDD-NOS and still have nto gotten the needed services for him.

his disability (no matter what it is) has to show that it disables him educationally in order for the district to help. they dont have funds so they fight everyone unless its outwardly obvious that they have a problem. The schools responsibility is just that, to educate your child and as long as they can read, write, sit in their chair and follow rules then there is no educational need for them to help you with.

so if educationally he is with in the average where he is supposed to be and he is not causing disruptions to others because of a disability then they dont have to help him... you can talk with his teacher and help her help him but really as far as I know that is all you are going to do.

The district gets people fighting them to get help whos kids have severe disabilities like autism and ADHD so they were probably surprised to see you at a school board meeting for colorblindness. that is probably why they acted that way.

I would also not spend any money on this because you will loose unless this problem is a learning disability... if most people who have it dont even know it then it does not seems to be that big of an issue for most. I have an uncle who has 3 Dr's degrees and he is color blind... it never affected him educationally.

We have had 18 people against us in an ARD meeting saying our son, who is on antipschycotics and adhd meds from the age of 4, does not have problems and we are still fighting over a year later and now his teacher is also asking the district for help with him and they are still stalling BUT I will say, its looking better for us because they are realizing that my son has some real problems. :o)

If I were you I would focus on educating the teacher on the disorder so she can help you. most of them are willing if you give them some suggestions on how she can help him. I would also ask your dr for resources on how you can help them at home...

dont listen to those who say a note from a dr will get you anywhere with the school district... we have notes from therapists, pediatririans, neurologist and psychiatrists and have had our own independant evaluations and are still having to fight the district for help with documented neurological disorders. (in many cases)The districts do what they want until they are taken to court and forced to help people. If there is no educational need (their disability does not hurt them educationally or keep them from learning) then they do not have to do anything.

Good luck
AJ

Hi K.:

Please forward to me any information you may get from the other moms! My son is colorblind as well.

It is a very strange thing. My brother was colorblind, so when my son started showing signs I picked up on it immediately. The teachers never caught on. I had to tell them what was going on - and you are right - nobody has a clue about what to do. They all just kind of nod, almost as if they don't understand.

We just kind of learned to deal with it with my brother. Other kids, as well as myself, would ask him, "What color is this?" just so we could laugh. It was fun! The kids are now doing it to my son. I keep telling him that the other kids just find it so interesting! It truly makes you unique!

My son is 9 /2 and I still pick out his clothes for him. He knows he has trouble matching things. Our general rule, though, is, blue jeans go with anything so on those days he can dress himself!

Oh yeah - My brother was a member of the National Honor Society!

Good luck and have fun with it!

Hi K.,

I am a mother of five kiddo's, TWO of which are color-blind. Both boys, of course. You DO know this is hereditary, right? *S* It RARELY is found in a female. It is passed down FROM a male THROUGH the female. (father thru daughter). We had NO idea my father was colorblind. I guess I should correct myself and say ONE of my boys is color-blind, the other is SHADEblind. He can see colors, more or less, but it's the shades of the colors he has the most trouble with. And believe it or not, he's an electrician!!, and a very GOOD one at that! The other son works with computers.

I truly believe when they learned their colors, if they heard this one was red, then no matter what color THEY saw it, that color was then red. My father made jewelry and never had any problem coordinating colors either.

Oh, and btw....my boys weren't diagnosed with this until they were almost teenagers. All of my kiddos are married and those particular two, just have their wives help with their clothing.

Now relax....they'll be fine. *S*

J.

As a former teacher, I have never had a colorblind child in my classroom or been educated in colorblindness. Teachers don't know everything. If a teacher is unaware of what limitations your son may face and how to help him, then yes, you should be your child's advocate and set up a meeting to discuss how the teacher can help your child. However, remember that your son is not the only child with special needs. There are probably children with much more severe disabilities that the teacher is helping everyday. I'm just saying that sometimes parents think that one teacher with a class of 22 or more children should be able to do everything a parent wants done for their child whether it is reasonable or not. Be sure to work with the teacher on what she can actually do during the day with your child considering she has many more students who need and deserve her help too. I hope your son gets the help he needs. Good luck.

Ok, I am just curious... what kind of modifications are you wanting? From what I understand about colorblindness, and I admit I have a limit knowledge on it, the main issue is distinguishing colors. I even double checked online and read up on the issue after reading your post. As a teacher myself, if I had a student who was colorblind, I would probably modify things that involved distinguishing colors. Obviously PK/KG have LOTS of coloring activities to learn the colors. For older students, it was a page that was something along the lines of color the odd number blue and even red- it would be understandable if that needed adjustments. Also, if they were reading something and the text was colored- it might need to be traced over or photocopied or something. Anyway, my point is that this mainly seems like something to make sure the teacher is aware of. Just make sure you have documentation for your child's cum folder and for the teacher. If there is an issue where he/she is deducted points for something related to color- you would have it as a reference.

Now, as far as screening, I think that would also a teacher issue. If the teacher notices lots of problems with recognizing colors- they could suggest you follow up with your pediatrician.

Anyway, good luck! It's great that you are so involved and being an advocate for your child! :)I hope it all pans out ok. I'm really not sure what all the district will be able to do, but I wish you the best!

I think that the teachers need to know that a child is colorblind, and can curtail their lesson plans and grading accordingly. I don't think it's the teachers responsibility to properly identify and diagnose every kid's disabilities because there are 1000s of them. The type of disabiliy will determine the childs ability to learn in a classroom environment. I'm not an expert, but I think colorblindness ranks very low on the scale. But I think it is reeasonable for the teacher to be aware of things like this so little Johnny won't receive an "F" for not picking the red one over the blue one. As for testing for colorblindness, that would be an issue the the ISD administration.

Hello K.,

You can ask your family doctor to provide a written statement that your children suffer from a disability.
Then you need to contact your school's superintendent and ask for an ARD meeting.

The school will be forced to comply with and provide you with tools to help your children succeed. Please let me know if you need more information, but this would be the starting point.

Sincerely,
J.

P.S. This applies to the dyslexia situation as well.