Why Piaget's Theory Might Not Cut it for Today's Neurodiversity-Informed World
At Willful Steps, we believe every child deserves to be understood and supported as they are - not measured against a one-size-fits-all model of development.
While Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development was groundbreaking in its time, it has significant limitations when viewed through a modern neurodiversity-affirming lens.
Many educators, psychologists, and parents are realising that relying too heavily on Piaget can lead to misunderstanding, frustration, and missed opportunities for neurodivergent children.
Piaget’s Theory: A Quick Overview
Piaget proposed that children progress through four universal stages of cognitive development:
- Sensorimotor (birth–2 years)
- Preoperational (2–7 years)
- Concrete operational (7–11 years)
- Formal operational (12+ years)
He believed children actively construct knowledge through interaction with their environment, and that these stages are sequential and largely the same for all children.
This framework has influenced education systems worldwide for decades.
The Problem: One Pathway Doesn’t Fit All Brains
Here’s our position:
Piaget’s model, while valuable in its historical context, is too narrow and rigid for today’s understanding of neurodiversity.
It assumes a typical developmental trajectory that many neurodivergent children (autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, and others) simply do not follow. This can lead to misinterpretation of their abilities, unnecessary pressure, and inappropriate expectations.
What the Research Shows
Modern research highlights several key limitations:
A 2023 critical review in Autism journal noted that Piaget’s stages do not adequately account for the asynchronous development common in autistic children. Many autistic individuals show advanced abilities in certain areas (i.e. memory, pattern recognition, or logical reasoning) while lagging in others (e.g., social communication or executive function).
This “spiky profile” challenges Piaget’s idea of even, stage-based progression.
Similarly, studies on ADHD show that executive function development - which Piaget placed firmly in the concrete and formal operational stages - can be delayed or different throughout life.
A 2024 longitudinal study found that many children with ADHD follow non-linear developmental paths, with significant variability in attention, impulse control, and planning skills.
Piaget’s theory also underestimates the role of sensory processing, emotional regulation, and social context. Neurodivergent children often experience the world with heightened or reduced sensory input, which dramatically affects how they explore, learn, and interact.
Research from the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (2025) shows that sensory differences can significantly alter the timeline and expression of cognitive milestones in autistic children.
Furthermore, Piaget’s work has been criticised for cultural bias.
His research was based primarily on Swiss, middle-class children. Modern cross-cultural and neurodiversity studies show that development is heavily influenced by environment, education, trauma, and neurology - factors Piaget largely overlooked.
Anecdotal Evidence from Families and Educators
Parents and teachers regularly share similar stories:
- A 9-year-old autistic child reading at a Year 12 level but struggling with basic self-care routines.
- An ADHD teenager who can hyperfocus on complex coding projects for hours but becomes overwhelmed by simple multi-step classroom instructions.
- Bright neurodivergent children being labelled as “behind” because they don’t engage in pretend play the way Piaget described in the preoperational stage.
These children aren’t failing to develop - they’re developing differently.
Applying strict Piagetian expectations can lead to anxiety, lowered self-esteem, and missed strengths.
Why This Matters in 2026
Today’s classrooms are far more neurodiverse than in Piaget’s era. Australian schools report rising numbers of neurodivergent students, with many schools seeing 15–25% of students with identified ADHD, autism, or learning differences.
Expecting all children to follow the same developmental ladder creates unnecessary pressure on both students and teachers.
When we force neurodivergent children into Piaget’s framework, we risk:
- Misunderstanding their behaviour as “immaturity” or “defiance”
- Overlooking their unique strengths and talents
- Delaying appropriate support and accommodations
- Contributing to burnout and mental health challenges
A Better Way Forward: Neurodiversity-Affirming Approaches
Instead of asking “Is this child meeting Piaget’s milestones?”, we suggest asking:
- What are this child’s unique strengths and interests?
- What environmental adjustments would help them learn best?
- How can we support their individual developmental path?
Practical Tips for Parents and Educators:
- Embrace Spiky Profiles: Celebrate advanced skills even if other areas lag. Use strengths as entry points for learning.
- Focus on Individual Progress: Track growth against the child’s own baseline rather than age-based norms.
- Prioritise Sensory and Regulation Needs: Many “developmental delays” improve dramatically when sensory and emotional needs are met.
- Use Strength-Based Planning: Build education and support plans around interests and capabilities, not deficits.
- Advocate for Flexibility: Push for flexible curricula, extended timelines, and alternative ways to demonstrate learning.
At Willful Steps, we help schools, families, and organisations move beyond outdated models toward truly inclusive, neuro-affirming practices that honour each child’s unique neurotype.
Piaget gave us a starting point - but we now have better tools and deeper understanding.
It’s time to update our expectations and support systems to match the beautiful diversity of today’s children.
The goal isn’t to make neurodivergent children fit into old theories.
It’s to create environments where they can flourish as they are.
References
- Vivanti G et al. (2023) ‘Rethinking cognitive development in autism’, Autism.
- Shaw P et al. (2024) ‘Longitudinal trajectories of executive function in ADHD’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
- Robertson CE et al. (2025) ‘Sensory processing and cognitive development in neurodivergent children’, Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
- Rogoff B (2022) ‘Culture and cognitive development: Beyond Piaget’, Annual Review of Psychology.
This article is for informational purposes.
Every child’s development is unique - professional assessment and support should always be individualised.