Design by, with, and for Neurodivergent Learners: Part 1 — Introduction
By Teon Edwards
My official title at TERC is “Leader 4.” My job titles include “Chair,” “Director,” “Co-founder,” “PI” (principal investigator), and “co-PI.” My resume lists positions such as “Project Director,” “Production Manager,” “Curriculum Developer,” “Education Specialist,” “Lead Developer,” “Educational Game Expert,” and “Tech-Education Liaison.” But one of my favorite roles is “Designer.”
For years, I’ve designed a wide variety of STEM-education materials, from curricula to games, museum exhibits to afterschool programs, teacher professional development programs to interactive tech tools. And over the last decade, much of my work has focused on designing for neurodivergent learners, with an increasing focus on expanding that to “by, with, and for” neurodivergent learners through co-design.
In this series of blogs, I will explore examples of this work. While I was involved in the design of all of these examples, I’m NOT the sole or even the primary designer of all of them. Indeed, each and every one involved a team, often a co-design team. Co-design, also called participatory design, involves stakeholders, especially end users, in the design process. True co-design is much more than “getting feedback”; it’s a collaborative, in-depth experience that involves stakeholders throughout the design process. And especially as shared here on ND in STEM, much of our design work is, not surprisingly, co-design by, with, and for neurodivergent learners.
Check out these blogs, each of which presents an example and delves into different elements of their designs and how they have addressed—or not addressed—the needs, interests, assets, and challenges of various neurodivergent learners.
Coming soon in the Designing by, with, and for Neurodivergent Learners series:
Part 2 — Computational Thinking Posters
Part 3 — Zoombinis Allergic Cliffs Flashlight Scaffold
Part 4 — Zoombinis Allergic Cliffs Expression Scaffold
Part 5 — Brightness Controls
Part 6 — Red Alert
Part 7 — Word Cards
Part 8 — Anatomy of Activities
My official title at TERC is “Leader 4.” My job titles include “Chair,” “Director,” “Co-founder,” “PI” (principal investigator), and “co-PI.” My resume lists positions such as “Project Director,” “Production Manager,” “Curriculum Developer,” “Education Specialist,” “Lead Developer,” “Educational Game Expert,” and “Tech-Education Liaison.” But one of my favorite roles is “Designer.”
For years, I’ve designed a wide variety of STEM-education materials, from curricula to games, museum exhibits to afterschool programs, teacher professional development programs to interactive tech tools. And over the last decade, much of my work has focused on designing for neurodivergent learners, with an increasing focus on expanding that to “by, with, and for” neurodivergent learners through co-design.
In this series of blogs, I will explore examples of this work. While I was involved in the design of all of these examples, I’m NOT the sole or even the primary designer of all of them. Indeed, each and every one involved a team, often a co-design team. Co-design, also called participatory design, involves stakeholders, especially end users, in the design process. True co-design is much more than “getting feedback”; it’s a collaborative, in-depth experience that involves stakeholders throughout the design process. And especially as shared here on ND in STEM, much of our design work is, not surprisingly, co-design by, with, and for neurodivergent learners.
Check out these blogs, each of which presents an example and delves into different elements of their designs and how they have addressed—or not addressed—the needs, interests, assets, and challenges of various neurodivergent learners.
Coming soon in the Designing by, with, and for Neurodivergent Learners series:
Part 2 — Computational Thinking Posters
Part 3 — Zoombinis Allergic Cliffs Flashlight Scaffold
Part 4 — Zoombinis Allergic Cliffs Expression Scaffold
Part 5 — Brightness Controls
Part 6 — Red Alert
Part 7 — Word Cards
Part 8 — Anatomy of Activities
8/18/2025
AuthorTeon Edwards is the director and a co-founder of EdGE at TERC. Her current work focuses on the use of virtual reality and other technologies to design and develop inclusive STEM learning experiences, with a particular focus on neurodiversity and sensory, attention, and social differences.
SummaryTeon Edwards, PI of Broadening Participation in Informal STEM Learning for Autistic Learners and Others through Virtual Reality, introduces herself and her blog series, “Design by, with, and for Neurodivergent Learners.”
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