ADHD and the Mystery of Object Permanence

You’ve done the classic: you walk around the house searching high and low for your car keys, only to find them on your kitchen counter. Again. If this scenario feels like a daily vignette, you might be dealing with a hidden part of ADHD called poor object permanence.

Object permanence means knowing something still exists even when you can’t currently see it. In ADHD brains, that mental file often gets deleted the moment you can’t see the object anymore. According to a small 2022 study in Cognitive Neuropsychology, people with ADHD showed reduced activation in prefrontal brain regions while completing object permanence tasks (Soto et al., 2022). Basically your brain is too busy elsewhere to remember things that “aren’t apparent” anymore.

That doesn’t mean you’re careless or scatterbrained. It means your brain needs different strategies to help memory stick.

What helps:

• Place hooks or bowls near entryways for essentials like keys and wallets

• Use clear bins or open shelves so items stay visually present

• Try visual cues like sticky notes placed right where you’ll need them

  
  

You didn’t lose your keys because you’re irresponsible. Your brain just files them away quicker than most.

Want tools to help with routine memory? Check out our Focus & Work section.

(Source: Soto, J. et al. (2022). Reduced prefrontal activation in ADHD during object permanence tasks. Cognitive Neuropsychology.)