Redesigning Outdoor Instruction Through Neurodiverse-Informed Design
This time of year, my students normally build quinzees, which are snow shelters constructed as part of a multi-week outdoor learning project. In the past, I introduced the project using a simple Google Slides presentation with basic steps. It was straightforward and understated. For this redesign, I wanted to focus on supporting neurodiverse learners.
I redesigned the slideshow to include AI-generated images that are simple and accessible for all learners, with particular attention to neurodiverse students. The slideshow introduces the project as a whole group, and I can also print and laminate each slide to use as step-by-step instructional cards for student groups working outside.
To focus on accessibility, I incorporated first/then visuals to break the process into manageable steps. I also intentionally built structured breaks into the lesson plan. There will be a designated sensory station for students who need sensory input, as well as a quiet station set up in the woods for students who need space to regulate and step away from overstimulation. The slides clearly outline student roles and responsibilities so that every learner understands how they can contribute to the group.
While researching strategies for adapting lessons for neurodiverse learners, I explored visual communication tools, including tile-based visual communication charts. I have several non-verbal students who could benefit from an outdoor communication support system like this, and this research helped me recognize the importance of extending accessibility beyond indoor classroom spaces.
I tried these redesigned slides with students who had already begun building snow forts. The new instructions reduced the number of clarification questions directed to me and increased overall independence. Built-in breaks benefited all students, not just those who are neurodiverse. Because students knew when breaks were scheduled, they worked with greater focus during structured work times. Neurodiverse students used the sensory break time to play in the snow and self-regulate. Overall, the project felt more organized and student engagement increased.
Through this process, I realized that designing with neurodiverse learners in mind benefits every student. Updating my outdoor classroom to include sensory stations, quiet benches away from high-activity areas, and clear visual-plus-text instructions with first/then sequencing has strengthened my instructional approach. Rather than retrofitting accommodations after challenges arise, I am learning to design lessons with accessibility built in from the beginning.
Works Cited
Google Gemini. (2026). A child sitting on a fallen log arranged in a partial circle on a mossy forest floor with other children playing in the background [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). A large hemlock tree with a woven natural basket at its base containing pinecones, stones, and moss in a snowy forest [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). A portable wooden log on a mossy forest floor with two blue tubular climbing nylon handles attached [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Children playing around a snow quinzee shelter [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Elementary students clearing sticks and checking trees for safety in a snowy forest [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Six-panel educational storyboard for elementary students showing the steps to build a snow quinzee: collecting snow, compacting, placing guide sticks, digging, smoothing walls, and enjoying the finished cave [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Three elementary students lying shoulder-to-shoulder in a snowy forest clearing [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Three elementary students shoveling and packing a large snow mound for a quinzee [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Three elementary students standing in a snowy forest clearing [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Three students in colorful winter gear packing and shaping a chest-high snow mound in a forest [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Three students in red, yellow, and blue winter gear placing small sticks into a chest-high snow mound in a snowy forest [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Three students in winter gear hollowing out a small entrance in a stick-covered snow quinzee in a forest [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Google Gemini. (2026). Two elementary students lying in snow with a third student walking a circular perimeter [AI-generated image]. https://gemini.google.com/
Hale, K. (n.d.). [Communication display] [Photograph]. Green Schoolyards America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57682b81725e25259d8396e3/1613806386353-P3UU3A5T5P2TY1Z3KIEJ/KimberlyHale-1cor-s.jpg
