Working memory

Working memory is the ability to hold and manipulate information in mind over short periods while carrying out a task — it's the mind's 'scratchpad.' It's essential for following instructions, doing mental math, keeping track of a conversation, or remembering where you are in a multistep process.

In ADHD, working memory is frequently impaired — not long-term memory, but this capacity to keep information active and available long enough to use it. That's why a person with ADHD might forget what they walked into another room for, lose the thread of a conversation, or need to reread the same paragraph several times.

Strategies that compensate for working-memory limitations include: writing down anything that needs to be remembered right away, using checklists for multistep processes, and keeping a single system for capturing information.