An innovative application is set to change the way children are tested for colour blindness.
Until now, optometrists have relied on the Ishihara test for identifying kids with colour blindness. This is where coloured dots hide a number and depends heavily on how well a child knows their numbers - meaning that testing cannot occur until a child is fairly literate.
Designers of the app have that it is a first as it allows young children to be easily checked. Aimed at the three to six-year-old age bracket, the three-minute game asks kids to catch as many butterflies of matching colours as they can.
Eye disease expert Professor Saw Seang Mei said that the earlier such problems are detected, the better, according to Healthcare Asia.
"It may have an impact – not just on their visual function – but also emotionally and mentally, like how they cope in school," the Professor said. The game, called 'DoDo's Catching Adventure', is due for release in November as an Apple app, with plans for an Android version to follow in the near future.
