Working Memory Explained

What exactly is this ‘working memory’ thing?

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Working memory is a form of short-term memory

Working memory helps us hold information in mind while mentally working with it.

Some examples:

• Doing mental math requires remembering the numbers, the solutions as you’re going along, then remembering your final answer
• Writing down information from another source (i.e. copying down a phone number) requires working memory to hold the numbers in mind while transferring them to paper
• Going into another room to retrieve something requires remembering what you were doing and what you needed in the first place
• Remembering multi-step directions, due dates, etc.

“Doesn’t that happen to everybody?”

Yes, this happens to everyone upon occasion. People with working memory difficulties struggle with this every day (to varying degrees).

Neurodivergent folks have notable differences in neurological development and processing which often cause difficulties with executive functioning.

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