ABSTRACT
ADHD is one of the most prevalent and highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders. ADHD has been mainly described in terms of neurocognitive impairments in sustained attention, executive functions, and working memory while early communication skills have been ignored. It is well documented, though, that infants later diagnosed with ADHD manifest certain features, such as negative temperament, motor impairments, increased activity levels, and short attention span, that, along with possible ADHD symptoms in their caregivers, disturb early interactions. Nowadays, it is proposed that the core feature of ADHD is emotion dysregulation, which is caused by disturbances in the brainstem-mediated rhythmic activity governing information integration, coherent motor action in time, and interpersonal contingency. Up to three years of age, ADHD shares common features with ASD. However, further research is needed to highlight early trajectories of ADHD for the benefit of erratum and intervention.
