The Memory Maze: Understanding Working, Short-Term, and Long-Term Memory in ADHD

Harold Robert Meyer and The ADD Resource Center                              05/09/2025 

Executive Summary

Memory challenges represent one of the most frustrating yet often misunderstood aspects of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While forgetfulness is a common complaint among individuals with ADHD, the underlying memory mechanisms affected by this neurodevelopmental condition are complex and multifaceted. This article explores the critical distinctions between working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory, with particular emphasis on how ADHD uniquely impacts each system. By understanding these memory processes, you’ll gain insights into why certain tasks prove challenging and discover evidence-based strategies to strengthen memory function.

Why This Matters

If you’re living with ADHD or supporting someone who does, memory difficulties can profoundly impact daily functioning, academic success, and workplace performance. Understanding the specific memory systems affected by ADHD empowers you to implement targeted interventions rather than feeling perpetually frustrated by forgetfulness. Recent research confirms that memory challenges in ADHD aren’t simply a matter of laziness or lack of effort—they stem from neurobiological differences in information processing and storage. With proper support strategies, these memory challenges can be effectively addressed, leading to significant improvements in quality of life and performance.

Key Findings

• ADHD significantly impacts working memory, with studies showing impairments in up to 75-81% of children with the condition.
• Short-term memory deficits in ADHD appear to be more selective, with visuospatial short-term memory more affected than phonological short-term memory.
• Long-term memory issues in ADHD primarily stem from encoding difficulties rather than retrieval problems.
• Memory challenges in ADHD result from information processing differences, not an inability to form memories.
• Evidence-based strategies including visual cues, technology aids, and memory training can significantly improve memory function in individuals with ADHD.

Understanding Memory Systems: The Three-Part Framework

Memory isn’t a single unified system but rather a complex interconnected network of processes. To understand ADHD’s impact on memory, you first need to recognize the three primary memory systems and how they function in everyday life.

Working Memory: Your Mental Workspace

Working memory serves as your brain’s active, temporary workspace—like a mental Post-it note or scratchpad. It allows you to manipulate and work with information you’re currently using to complete tasks or solve problems.

Working memory functions as “your brain’s Post-it note… where you jot down information temporarily for quick retrieval.” This system helps you hold and process multiple pieces of information simultaneously while performing a task.

Working memory enables you to:

• Follow multi-step instructions
• Keep track of what you’re doing while you’re doing it
• Maintain focus on a task while filtering distractions
• Manipulate information mentally (like doing calculations in your head)
• Transition smoothly between tasks
• Recall what you were about to say in a conversation

Short-Term Memory: Temporary Storage

Short-term memory refers to your ability to hold a limited amount of information for a brief period, typically 15-30 seconds. Unlike working memory, which actively manipulates information, short-term memory simply stores it.

Short-term memory functions as “our brain’s temporary storage system. It holds several pieces of information while solving a problem or performing a task.”

Short-term memory helps you:

• Remember a phone number long enough to dial it
• Hold directions in mind until you can write them down
• Recall the beginning of a sentence by the time you reach its end
• Maintain awareness of what just happened in your environment

Short-term memory has limited capacity—generally 5-9 items of information—and information quickly fades unless actively rehearsed or transferred to long-term storage.

Long-Term Memory: Permanent Archives

Long-term memory is your brain’s more permanent storage system. Contrary to popular belief, long-term memory doesn’t just include memories from years ago—even memories formed an hour ago are part of your long-term memory system once they’ve been encoded and stored.

Long-term memory is “our brain’s more permanent form of storage. Information is encoded in our long-term memory through reinforcement activities like studying or performing a task repeatedly.”

Long-term memory enables you to:

• Recall personal experiences (episodic memory)
• Remember facts and concepts (semantic memory)
• Perform learned skills automatically (procedural memory)
• Recognize familiar objects and people (recognition memory)

For information to enter long-term memory, it must first pass through working and short-term memory systems and undergo a process called encoding—the transformation of information into a storable form.

How ADHD Affects Memory: The Processing Puzzle

ADHD impacts each memory system differently, creating unique challenges that can manifest as forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions, or problems completing multi-step tasks.

ADHD and Working Memory: The Central Challenge

Working memory deficits represent one of the most significant and well-documented cognitive challenges in ADHD.

Research indicates that “working memory deficits appear to be present in upwards of 3 out of every 4 ADHD cases and covary with their ADHD symptom severity.” These impairments directly affect everyday functioning, from following conversations to completing assignments.

For the ADHD brain, working memory limitations mean:

• Trouble keeping track of multiple pieces of information simultaneously
• Difficulty following multi-step instructions
• Losing track of the current task when interrupted
• Problems with mental manipulation of information
• Forgetting what was just said in a conversation
• Difficulty planning and organizing sequential tasks

Working memory challenges affect decision-making processes in ADHD. Research shows that “compared to peers with typical development, delayed discounting was significantly stronger in children with ADHD and discounting rates increased in both groups for heavier memory loads.” This explains why individuals with ADHD often choose immediate rewards over delayed benefits—their working memory cannot consistently maintain long-term goals in active awareness.

ADHD and Short-Term Memory: A More Nuanced Picture

The relationship between ADHD and short-term memory is more complex and selective than previously thought.

Recent research using advanced statistical modeling approaches has found that “ADHD is associated with impairments in both working memory and visuospatial short-term memory, but not phonological short-term memory.”

This means individuals with ADHD may struggle more with:

• Remembering visual patterns and spatial relationships
• Recalling where objects were placed
• Maintaining visual information briefly
• Remembering nonverbal instructions or demonstrations

However, their ability to briefly hold verbal information—like a spoken phone number—may be relatively preserved compared to their working memory challenges.

ADHD and Long-Term Memory: The Encoding Issue

Long-term memory difficulties in ADHD primarily stem from problems encoding information rather than storing or retrieving it.

Research indicates that “ADHD may not directly impact your long-term memory. Instead, it affects your ability to encode information, which is the process of moving information from your short-term or working memory to your long-term memory.”

This encoding challenge occurs because:

• The ADHD brain processes information in a more disorganized manner
• Attentional fluctuations mean important details may not be fully registered
• Distractions interrupt the encoding process
• Working memory limitations restrict how much information can be processed for storage

As one source explains about ADHD memory challenges: “Memories aren’t lost, they aren’t made in the first place.” When information isn’t properly encoded due to attention fluctuations, it never fully enters long-term memory storage.

The ADHD Memory Experience: Why It Feels So Frustrating

For individuals with ADHD, memory challenges can be particularly frustrating because they seem inconsistent—sometimes information is remembered perfectly, while other times important details vanish completely.

This inconsistency occurs because:

1. Attention fluctuations affect encoding. When hyperfocused or engaged with interesting material, the ADHD brain may encode information exceptionally well. When unengaged or distracted, critical information may never enter memory.
2. Emotional significance enhances memory. Emotionally charged information is often remembered more easily, which is why individuals with ADHD might recall details about favorite topics but forget important appointments.
3. Executive function deficits compound memory issues. Memory challenges interact with other executive functions, making it difficult to organize or prioritize information for effective storage and retrieval.
4. Environmental factors significantly impact memory performance. Noise, visual distractions, stress, and fatigue can dramatically worsen memory function in individuals with ADHD.

A key distinction between ADHD memory challenges and general forgetfulness is that “working memory requires someone to ignore superfluous information and tune out distractions,” which is particularly difficult for the ADHD brain.

Practical Strategies for Enhancing Memory with ADHD

While memory challenges are a core aspect of ADHD, numerous evidence-based strategies can significantly improve memory function.

Working Memory Enhancement Techniques

1. Break down complex information into smaller, manageable chunks.
2. Use the “rule of three” for instructions: For children with ADHD, “make eye contact. State the direction. Have the child repeat the direction back to you twice. The first time the direction gets repeated ensures that the child heard the instruction correctly. The second repetition sends the direction down the memory line.”
3. Practice working memory exercises regularly, such as:
   • Card games that require tracking multiple pieces of information
   • Mental math practice
   • Games that require remembering sequences
4. Reduce multitasking to limit working memory demands.
5. Provide immediate feedback during learning to strengthen neural connections.

Leveraging Visual Processing Strengths

Many individuals with ADHD have stronger visual processing abilities that can be leveraged to support memory weaknesses.

Visual cues “provide a visual representation or reminder of information, making it easier for individuals with ADHD to retrieve and remember important details. By associating information with visual images or symbols, individuals can create stronger connections in their memory.”

Effective visual strategies include:

1. Color coding information by category or priority.
2. Creating mind maps to visualize connections between concepts.
3. Using visual planners and calendars with color and imagery.
4. Implementing visual reminders like strategically placed sticky notes or symbols.
5. Converting verbal information to visual formats through diagrams, charts, or illustrations.

Technology as Memory Support

Modern technology offers powerful tools to circumvent memory challenges:

1. Digital reminder and alarm systems for time-sensitive tasks.
2. Note-taking apps with search functions and organizational features.
3. Voice recording tools to capture verbal instructions.
4. Task management applications that break projects into steps.
5. Wearable technology that provides discreet reminders throughout the day.

Environmental Modifications

Optimizing your environment can significantly enhance memory function:

1. Reduce distractions in learning and working environments.
2. Create consistent organizational systems that reduce memory demands.
3. Establish routines that become automatic rather than requiring working memory.
4. Use external memory aids like checklists, written instructions, and reference materials.
5. Ensure adequate sleep, as sleep deprivation dramatically impairs memory.

When Memory Challenges Warrant Professional Support

While memory difficulties are common with ADHD, certain situations may signal the need for professional evaluation and support:

1. When memory issues significantly impair daily functioning despite implementing strategies.
2. If memory problems are getting worse rather than staying consistent.
3. When memory challenges are accompanied by other cognitive changes like confusion or difficulty finding words.
4. If memory problems develop suddenly or represent a noticeable change from baseline.
5. When memory issues persist even with ADHD medication and management strategies.

Distinguishing ADHD Memory Issues from Other Conditions

Memory challenges occur in numerous conditions besides ADHD. Understanding the distinctive pattern of memory difficulties in ADHD helps distinguish it from other causes of memory problems.

Unlike degenerative conditions, “ADHD symptoms don’t get worse over time, but they can become more noticeable under certain circumstances,” such as after retirement when daily structure decreases or during hormonal transitions like menopause.

Key differentiating factors include:

1. Consistency vs. Progression: ADHD memory issues typically remain consistent over time rather than progressively worsening.
2. Lifelong Pattern: Memory challenges in ADHD usually present from childhood rather than developing later in life.
3. Situational Variation: ADHD memory problems often vary dramatically based on interest, engagement, and environmental factors.
4. Response to Structure: Memory function in ADHD typically improves with external structure and accommodations.
5. Preservation of Semantic Knowledge: General knowledge and learned skills usually remain intact in ADHD.

Reframing the Narrative: ADHD and Memory Differences

Rather than viewing ADHD-related memory challenges solely as deficits, we can reframe them as differences in information processing that have both strengths and weaknesses.

When a child or teen says “I have a bad memory,” it’s helpful to “reframe their view of their memory. Describe it as the search engine of their brain whose wires need some tweaking. Those adjustments come in the form of reminders, alerts, and alarms. Normalize forgetfulness as something that happens to all people.”

This perspective acknowledges that individuals with ADHD often demonstrate exceptional memory for topics of interest, suggesting that the issue isn’t memory capacity itself but rather the regulation of attention and engagement that affects what gets encoded into memory.

Conclusion

Memory challenges represent a core aspect of the ADHD experience, with distinct effects on working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory systems. By understanding these differences, you can implement targeted strategies to enhance memory function and reduce the impact of these challenges on daily life.

Remember that memory difficulties in ADHD stem from neurobiological differences in information processing—not from lack of effort or intelligence. With appropriate supports and strategies, individuals with ADHD can develop systems to effectively compensate for memory challenges and leverage their cognitive strengths.

Bibliography

• Baddeley, A. (2007). Working memory, thought, and action. Oxford University Press.
• Karalunas, S.L., Huang-Pollock, C.L., & Nigg, J.T. (2017). Is cognitive impairment a transdiagnostic risk factor in psychopathology? Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 13, 29-56.
• Kofler, M.J., Rapport, M.D., Bolden, J., Sarver, D.E., & Raiker, J.S. (2019). Working memory deficits contribute to hyperactivity in children with ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47(4), 503-515.
• Rapport, M.D., Orban, S.A., Kofler, M.J., & Friedman, L.M. (2013). Do programs designed to train working memory, other executive functions, and attention benefit children with ADHD? A meta-analytic review of cognitive, academic, and behavioral outcomes. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1237-1252.
• Skodzik, T., Holling, H., & Pedersen, A. (2017). Long-term memory performance in adult ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 21(4), 267-283.

Resources

• ADD Resource Center (ADDRC.org): https://www.addrc.org/
• ADDitude Magazine: https://www.additudemag.com/
• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD): https://chadd.org/
• Understood.org Memory Resources: https://www.understood.org/

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