This thesis presents a study of the work of understanding one’s life. The work of understanding one’s life is what I call the work that pupils in special school and special school for adults (education for pupils, children as well as adults with intellectual challenges) themselves initiate. It is a “real” job, based on the pupils’ conditions where the purpose is to understand his or her self and learn to live in a world that is or can be experienced as unreliable. In special school the teacher has very obviously the pupil’s life in his or her hand and the way of approach that the teacher chooses is of great importance for the possibility for the pupil to work with his or her understanding of life. Analyses of concepts from existential philosophers with interdependence in focus have the purpose of understanding the work of understanding one’s life. For example K.E. Løgstrup’s philosophy on the ethical demand is discussed, as also spontaneous and revolving life expressions, Karl Jaspers’ border situations, Paul Tillich’s the courage to be and Henry Cöster’s work on ethics and social care. The discussion is put in relation to two different ways of approach that the pedagogue can choose. I call them following and leading approach. The analyses are illustrated with drawings from pupils’ and stories based on my experience of many years’ work in special school. The method, to see the alternative with distinctions, has been inspired by K.E. Løgstrup’s phenomenological interpretation of everyday reality. The result – a theory on what the work of understanding one’s life is about – is based on the discussion of the different concepts of the analysis in combination. The theory makes it possible to both speak about and relate to the work of understanding one’s life. Finally examples are given of areas, activities and situations where knowledge about the importance of the work of understanding one’s life is important for people’s possibility of taking part in community of society.