More Than Maths Phobia: Supporting Dyscalculic Students in Vocational Education

Kerri Ledingham’s Victorian Skills Authority Fellowship examines how vocational education can better support learners with Dyscalculia, a specific learning difficulty that affects numerical understanding and significantly impacts student confidence and achievement. Her research highlights that many learners experience mathematics anxiety, inconsistent access to support, and instructional practices that do not meet their cognitive needs. Through extensive engagement with researchers and specialist institutions across the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Kerri observed evidence informed teaching practices that prioritise multisensory learning, structured screener tools, targeted interventions and collaboration between teachers and allied health professionals.
Her findings emphasise the importance of early diagnostic assessment, stronger professional learning for teachers, and the consistent application of reasonable adjustments to create more accessible learning environments. The report outlines practical, scalable strategies that vocational education providers can adopt to improve retention, engagement and long term pathways for neurodiverse learners who require tailored mathematics support.