In my master's thesis I explored different aspects of the lives of adolescents with disabilities during the covid-19 epidemic. I was interested in how adolescents with disabilities experienced the impact of the covid-19 epidemic on their mental health and well-being, and in what ways they coped with hardships. I explored how the change in routines affected family dynamics, relationships and, consequently, young people's wellbeing. In addition, I wanted to find out how the lack of social contact affected young people's wellbeing. I was also interested in how distance education affected young people. I was also interested to find out the role of school counsellors during the school closures and what kind of support and help was needed for all young people with disabilities. In the theoretical part I defined young people with special needs and described the groups mentioned in the legislation. In the next section I described the epidemic of covid-19 and in a sub-chapter focused on the functioning of social work in the emergency situation of covid-19. In the third section I described the counselling service or work in school and in a sub-chapter focused on the counselling work in school during the epidemic of covid-19. In the next chapter, I wrote about the school environment, focusing in the sub-chapters more on the epidemiological measures that were introduced into the field of education during the epidemic and also on the impact of school closures on adolescents with disabilities. In Chapter 5, I present the family environment and the impact of covid on the family environment of youth with special needs. I continued with chapter six, where I described the characteristics of the social network and in a sub-chapter highlighted the impact of covid-19 on the social network of adolescents. In the last chapter, I listed the characteristics of mental health and in a sub-chapter wrote about the impact of covid-19 on the mental health of adolescents with disabilities. In the last sub-chapter, I listed some programmes to help individuals in mental distress. In the empirical part, I presented the obtained research results. The research was qualitative. It was performed on a non-random, convenience sample of eight adolescents with disabilities, aged 18 to 26, who are studying in the same school. I found that the adolescents experienced the impact of the epidemic of Covid-19, among the most severe epidemiological measures, as negative, as they experienced more negative feelings than before due to various factors or stressors. Since the end of the epidemic, young people point out that their mental health has remained the same as before the epidemic or even improved. The impact of the epidemic on family relationships is described as varied, with some families becoming more cohesive and others facing more challenges, depending on the circumstances, reactions and coping strategies of each family. Distance education has had a largely negative impact on the well-being of young people with disabilities, as they have experienced more stress related to the increased amount of schoolwork and the increased demands. Lack of motivation, concentration and fatigue are also experienced. The role of the school counsellors varied according to the wishes and needs of the young people, availability of the school counsellors and information about working hours and the process of help. They have been a key source of support for the individuals who have worked with them. Those who did not need the counselling found a source of support elsewhere. Young people coped with their difficulties by confiding them in people close to them, especially friends. They also mentioned family and professionals at school and, in one case, self-help. I have found that for young people, it is friends who serve as the greatest source of strength or help, so the lack of contact has had a negative impact on them. Young people with disabilities mention friends, family, professional help and maintaining social contacts as the support and help they need. Some needed less help, others more, depending on strategies to adapt to new circumstances.
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