18 year old with severe memory problems

Question

A family that I tutor English to asked me to help their cousin who is 18 and hasn't learned anything past her abc's & #s, even though she's been in school for over 10 years. She doesn't have a birth defect of any sort & she doesn't act strange at all, she just cannot retain ANYTHING short term memory wise. She can't remember how to even do laundry or follow directions that were just given to her, but again, you'd have no idea talking to her because she looks & seems completely normal. So, please, does anyone have any suggestions or any sort of memory tricks I can teach her to help overcome this? Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

maybe she has ADHD OR ADD it can effect your memory  

Answer 2

Sounds like she's suffering from some type of brain injury. This often affects short term memory. There are usually programs in the community which help train adults so that they can at least work in sheltered workshops. If you have a Goodwill Industries in your area, they are a good place to start or call the United Way for referrals to other agencies.