The education received in early childhood supports the educational process in later periods (Özdoğru, 2021). This early education aims to support children's physical, mental, and emotional development, to ensure that they acquire habits that benefit them, and to prepare them for primary school (Özdoğru, 2021). Special education practices in early childhood aim to fulfill the requirements of children and their families who have disabilities or are in disadvantaged groups regarding developmental areas, to prevent impairments from becoming disabilities, or to minimize the difference between the child and his/her peers (Pınar, 2006).

ADHD is one of the most frequently diagnosed and treated disorders among preschool children with special needs (Gündoğdu et al., 2016). ADHD, first defined in 1902 (Still, 1902), is characterized by attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity (Campbell et al., 2000). In recent years, there has been more focus on the problem of difficulty in controlling impulsive behaviors (Barkley, 1997). Although ADHD is one of the most common disorders in preschool period (Ghuman & Ghuman, 2013; Gündoğdu et al., 2016; Willoughby et al., 2000), studies on ADHD in preschool period are few (Gündoğdu et al., 2016). According to the findings of one study (Erler, 2024), children with ADHD experienced social problems, anxiety, defiance, emotional lability, perfectionism, and psychosomatic symptoms more than children without ADHD symptoms. Similarly, another study noted that children with ADHD have great difficulties in social relationships and cognitive performance (Egger et al., 2006). In the study conducted by Ünsal and Şahan (2015), the opinions of five-year-old children on the disability were taken; children were asked to draw pictures related to the concept of 'disability' and to explain their drawings. However, the researchers did not conduct a thematic analysis, add the pictures the children drew to the research findings, or include these pictures in the analysis process. Nevertheless, according to the findings, children generally think of physical disabilities and perceive the disability negatively. The researchers suggest that studies on the concept of disability with preschool children should be expanded, and thus, children's awareness of disabled individuals should be increased.

All these show that the knowledge and skills acquired in the early periods are more effective and permanent for the following years, and the approaches to gaining knowledge and skills or treating individuals with special needs must start early. Accordingly, children diagnosed with ADHD may encounter various difficulties in social interactions and classroom dynamics. This may affect teachers' classroom management skills and the attitudes of typically developing children toward their peers with ADHD. There is limited information regarding the friendship relationships of children with ADHD, their social acceptance, and how they are perceived/supported by their teachers. Accordingly, this study aims to understand the effects of teachers in the classroom by examining the social interactions of children diagnosed with ADHD, teacher approaches, and the attitudes of typically developing peers. The primary purpose is to qualitatively examine the social interactions of preschool children diagnosed with ADHD, the approaches of their teachers, and the attitudes of their typically developing peers towards these children. Within the framework of this primary objective, answers to the following research questions are sought:

What are the perceptions of children diagnosed with ADHD, teachers, and typically developing children about the concept of ADHD?

1. How do children diagnosed with ADHD perceive themselves in the classroom environment? What are their perceptions of ADHD?
2. How do preschool teachers who have students diagnosed with ADHD in their class perceive the behaviors of children diagnosed with ADHD in the classroom?
3. How do typically developed children who have friends diagnosed with ADHD perceive these peers?

The study design will be a qualitative multiple-case study. Conducting multiple case studies strengthens the findings and reduces the research gap created by narrowly examining a single case (Yin, 2009). The study of multiple cases can make inferences about teachers' and children's perceptions regarding early childhood ADHD. Case studies examine an event, procedure, program, or individual(s); accordingly, a teacher, student, school, program, or policy can be a case (Creswell, 2007). In this study, a case will be "perceptions of a preschool teacher, a child diagnosed with ADHD, and a typically developing child with a peer diagnosed with ADHD towards ADHD in a public preschool education institution with inclusive students diagnosed with ADHD." One of the requirements will be that the child diagnosed with ADHD receives a medical and educational diagnosis in early childhood. The current study will examine four different preschool teachers and their class interactions. Stake (2006) identified four cases as adequate to explore interactivity between multiple case investigations. The participants will be early childhood education teachers with a student diagnosed with ADHD, preschool children diagnosed with ADHD, and typically developing children with a friend diagnosed with ADHD. In qualitative case studies, interviews, field notes, documents, and observations are essential (Creswell, 2007) because these diverse data collection tools allow for analyzing a case holistically. The study will include semi-structured interviews, observation records, extensive field notes, drawings, and documents as data collection instruments. The teachers' classroom activities will be observed within their natural contexts, reflecting the statement by Denzin and Lincoln (2011) that such observations are essential to in-depth analysis. Interview data will be an essential source of knowledge because it will allow the researchers to apprehend teachers' perceptions of ADHD and their classroom inclusion practices. Additionally, the initial researcher will take photographs of children's drawings that display their perceptions of ADHD, which were then subjected to thorough document analysis. As Creswell (2007) stated, document analysis applies to a methodical and qualitative examination combined with other qualitative data collection techniques, allowing a more profound acquaintance of the subject. Existing literature on ADHD during early childhood will be carefully examined to develop the observation and interview protocol. Data will be reviewed according to observations, field notes, and photographs. The initial researcher will analyze the data following the thematic analysis method defined by Braun and Clarke (2006) to determine, investigate, and document themes in the data obtained.

When the literature is examined, there are some studies on ADHD in early childhood (Barkley, 1997; Egger et al., 2006; Erler, 2024; Gündoğdu, 2015). Accordingly, it is predicted in this study that the classroom experiences of teachers who have preschool children diagnosed with ADHD in their classrooms, the children with typical development, and the children diagnosed with ADHD may change within the framework of their perceptions of ADHD. Moreover, it is expected that the classroom interactions of teachers who are experienced in working with students with special needs might have a positive and supportive perception of these students. Besides, it is thought that teacher attitudes may affect typically developing children and children diagnosed with ADHD in the classroom. It is predicted that the teacher's effort to integrate the students with special needs and to follow a program focused on their interests and needs will affect typically developing children to have a more understanding, inclusive, and empathic attitude towards their peers with ADHD. In such an atmosphere, it is thought that a child diagnosed with ADHD will not feel different or excluded. However, in a classroom environment that is the opposite, it is thought that children may have negative perceptions. Regarding the teachers' opinions, it is expected that the problems they experience may arise from a lack of resources, bureaucratic processes, and lack of communication regarding cooperation with the families. These difficulties are predicted to negatively affect teachers' efforts to integrate their students with special needs. However, despite the problems and deficiencies, teachers are expected to be solution-oriented, open to cooperation, and motivated to avoid difficulties maintaining order in the classroom. It is estimated that teachers' suggestions will be to expand resources, make bureaucratic processes faster and more effective, and give more importance to cooperation with other stakeholders.

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