Attention, memory, and executive functions are important cognitive skills needed to process and formulate verbal information. These three skills are highly integrated and must be intact for learning to occur.

In simple terms, memory involves three important processes:

1. encoding (recording),
2. storage, and
3. recall (retrieval) of information.

We use memory primarily to remember words and stories, events in the past, procedures, and schedules. While the three memory processes work together, difficulties may be present in only one process or any combination of the three.

We identify memory problems in both children and adults. While some people may be born with memory problems, others acquire them from illness or trauma. The response to treatment is variable depending on the kind of memory problem and its cause. In some cases complete recovery is possible, while in others, prognosis is poor. A thorough assessment and case history is necessary to plan treatment that is realistic.