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What Are the Different Types of Color Blindness Tests for Children?

By Marlene Garcia
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 8,972
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Color blindness tests for children might identify the degree of deficiency and which form of color blindness exists. An anomaloscope might accurately define the degree of colorblindness, while pseudoisochromatic plates can identity how various colors are seen. Arranging color blindness tests for children can detect their perception of subtle differences in hues.

Most people are familiar with the Ishihara test, named after the doctor who invented a series of plates with symbols or numbers hidden in various colors. These tests are still in use but considered a less accurate color blindness test for children to determine the degree of the disorder. The first Ishihara test plates were painted in 1917 using different colored dots designed in patterns.

Four kinds of plates make up these color blindness tests for children. The vanishing design might be missed by people who are not color blind and is the most difficult to identify. Most children who are severely color blind will not see any number or symbol during the vanishing plate test. On the transformation plate test, a child might see the symbol but be unable to identify its color.

Hidden design Ishihara color blindness tests for children usually spark identification of the number because the patient sees outlines instead of color. These symbols typically cannot be seen by people with normal color discrimination abilities. Eye doctors might use a classification test to diagnose red-green blindness. This type of color blindness test for children uses 14 to 38 plates depicting different colors.

The most accurate tool for evaluating the severity of color blindness involves the use of an anomaloscope, which resembles a microscope. The patient matches green and red lights with yellow lights appearing through the scope. Results of the color blindness test can determine the degree of red-green deficiency and identify specific defects in the eye causing the disorder.

An arrangement test employs a series of colored discs. The patient is asked to arrange the discs in the order displayed on a sample plate. A doctor can determine how the child sees different hues of the same color by analyzing how he or she arranges the discs.

Tests for color blindness first emerged in the 1700s, when patients were asked to match batches of colored ribbons. This subjective test examined how people perceived color and variations in color. Later tests used colored paper and first identified red-green colored blindness.

Many free tests are available on the Internet, but doctors commonly consider these inaccurate color blindness tests for children. Digital images use only red, green, and blue, making these tests limited in identifying severe color blindness. The brightness and hue of colors on individual computer monitors also vary between brands and computer settings.

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Discussion Comments
By umbra21 — On Jan 21, 2014

@Mor - I think it's just a good thing to know for safety reasons. But I think the most important thing is to make sure the color blind test for kids is carefully designed to ensure they don't think they are "failing" or less capable than any other child. It's all too easy to damage self esteem by labeling children in a negative way and it's important for parents to recognize the dangers of that. Color blindness doesn't have to be a big deal.

By Mor — On Jan 20, 2014

@irontoenail - It depends on the degree of color blindness. Any parent who is paying attention should eventually notice that their kid can't distinguish between red and green. I remember playing "name the color" games with my nephew all the time when he was a little kid and if he couldn't do it I would definitely have noticed.

But there are also mild degrees of color blindness that might not make much impact unless the child is doing something specific that requires color identification.

I mean, I don't think there is any real treatment for color blindness, so if it is so mild it doesn't affect their life, there isn't a real reason to get tested.

By irontoenail — On Jan 19, 2014

So, maybe if you are worried, you can get your kids to take an online color blind test and if they fail it, you can take them to the doctor to get a real test. It sounds like it would probably be fairly expensive to just go to the doctor on the off chance that your kid might happen to be color blind. And I don't think people always notice this, because I've heard of lots of cases of people not realizing that they were color blind until they were adults and stumbled across an Ishihara plate.

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