Scrolling Facebook this week, our team stopped on a post from the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). The headline was impossible to ignore:
“Nearly nine in ten students with learning disabilities struggle to focus… Over half are chronically absent… Almost one in two report mistreatment by teachers.”
Those numbers come from “Succeeding in High School & Beyond,” a July 2025 study released by NCLD in partnership with The GRAD Partnership and WestEd. The report paints a stark picture:
- 89 % of students with LD say they have trouble focusing in class.
- 55 % miss ten or more school days a year—often because anxiety, illness, or feeling far behind makes showing up feel pointless.
- 44 % say teachers bully or disrespect them. (ncld.org)
NCLD’s conclusion is clear: when so many learners are disengaged, the problem isn’t students—it’s the systems meant to support them.
Where Maths Instruction Fits In
Esther White summed it up in our team chat: “This is exactly why we must reduce cognitive load and simplify instruction with the manipulatives and representations we use.” In other words, systemic change starts inside each lesson. Here’s how a multi-sensory, mastery-based approach addresses the pain points the NCLD report surfaces:
- Lowering cognitive load
Color – consistent and model- consistent tools (integer blocks, fraction and decimal overlay cards, decimal grids) off-load working memory, so attention isn’t consumed by juggling abstract symbols. - Building genuine belonging
Pair-and-share “build-draw-write-say” routines give every learner a voice, replacing the silent worksheet culture many students describe as isolating. - Embedding agency and self-advocacy
When students physically model a problem, they can see where they get stuck and articulate what help they need—a core gap the report identifies. - Creating early-warning data without more tests
Mastery checks built into each concrete lesson let teachers spot misunderstanding long before it becomes chronic absenteeism.
Four Practical Moves You Can Make This Term
- Swap one worksheet a week for a hands-on task. Ten minutes with integer blocks can replace pages of abstract drill.
- Use the same manipulative across topics. Consistency cuts extraneous load; students don’t have to relearn the “tool” every unit.
- Teach the language aloud. “Say what you build” turns passive work into active reasoning and meets the self-advocacy gap NCLD highlights.
- Track mastery, not marks. A quick exit ticket asking “Show me with blocks” gives richer data than a percentage score.
Keep the Conversation Going
NCLD’s report offers a national roadmap; our job is to bring that roadmap to life in every maths lesson. Download the full report, share it with your leadership team, and ask: “Where can we reduce cognitive load and raise belonging next week?”
Then reach out for a recent recording where one special school in Melbourne shares of their outstanding student success with high learner needs and join us for an upcoming webinar where we dive deeper into multi-sensory strategies for Tier 2 and Tier 3 learners.
When systems change, students thrive—and maths becomes a language every child can speak with confidence.