 The symptoms of ADHD arise from a deficiency in certain executive functions ( e.g. , attentional control , inhibitory control , and working memory ) . Executive functions are a set of cognitive processes that are required to successfully select and monitor behaviors that facilitate the attainment of one 's chosen goals . The executive function impairments that occur in ADHD individuals result in problems with staying organized , time keeping , excessive procrastination , maintaining concentration , paying attention , ignoring distractions , regulating emotions , and remembering details . People with ADHD appear to have unimpaired long @-@ term memory , and deficits in long @-@ term recall appear to be attributed to impairments in working memory . The criteria for an executive function deficit are met in 30 – 50 % of children and adolescents with ADHD . One study found that 80 % of individuals with ADHD were impaired in at least one executive function task , compared to 50 % for individuals without ADHD . Due to the rates of brain maturation and the increasing demands for executive control as a person gets older , ADHD impairments may not fully manifest themselves until adolescence or even early adulthood . 
