Siblings of children with special needs are often overlooked. Some refer to them as the hidden or invisible members of the family, as their support needs are sometimes not recognised or met. The situation can result in many challenges with which siblings must engage, but also provides opportunities for developing greater maturity, tolerance and compassion. Several decades ago, for the purpose of support, programmes for siblings were started abroad. Although such programmes are already well established in some countries, other organisers are often faced with a small number of participants. In our research, we focus on siblings between the ages of 15 and 20. Adolescence is a period of great changes, identity formation and the desire for independence. It is also a period when peers play an important role. The purpose of the master's thesis was to investigate the reasons given by adolescents for their non/participation in support programmes for siblings of children with special needs. Taking part in the research were 18 participants divided into 5 groups in accordance with their role and experience: teenagers with experience of participating in the programme, teenagers lacking this experience, older siblings, mothers and professional workers. In the majority of cases, their views agree. In a comparison of the results, differences were noticed mainly in the emphasis placed on the individual reason for non/participation. Most of the interviewees agree that the need for support is greater at younger ages. Young people have other priorities and obligations. The participating older siblings, mothers and professional workers also notice that young people at this age often distance themselves from their families. Most young people do not recognise the need for support and do not value the programmes. Fear of exposure and the unknown can also be an obstacle, or there are reservations about talking about this topic. Most of the participants did not mention experiencing shame. They also attach great importance to the role of parents, specifically in terms of recognising the situation of siblings and enabling early experiences of this type of support. Opinions differ regarding the impact of parental incentives for participation, but participants also identify organisational factors, such as the design of the programme and the location, time, frequency and method of conducting the meetings, as obstacles. The results of the research provide insight into the reservations young people have and the obstacles they face that result in non/participation in programmes, and can serve as a basis for further planning of support services for siblings.
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