Benefits for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Recently, more people have become aware of autism, how important it is to treat people with disabilities, and how important it is to include them equally in society and the community. As a result, more people, even those who were not diagnosed as children, want to be diagnosed. These days, more and more adults who have dealt with a sense of being different and having trouble communicating and getting along with others for most of their lives are finally looking for a professional diagnosis that covers all the bases.
It is important to remember that it is never too late to deal with issues like not understanding social situations, obsessive behaviors, and communication issues. If you have been told you have autism spectrum disorder, you should get help from a professional. This will give you the tools you need to deal with the challenges of life.
The article below lists all the services and benefits that adults with ASD can get in one place. Our goal is to make this important information easy to find, to help you get the benefits and services you are legally entitled to, to show the right people how to apply for those benefits and services, and to promote truly equal opportunities in Israeli society.
NOTE
NOTE
In order to get benefits and services, you need to have an official diagnosis of ASD and be recognized by the government. This means that recognition from one part of the government, like National Insurance, does not always mean recognition from another part, like the Ministry of Welfare.
Benefits and allowances from the National Insurance Institute
If you did not get a full diagnosis as a child and now want to get National Insurance benefits, you must pay for a full diagnosis to be done by one of the authorized institutes.
If you had a full diagnosis as a child and got a disabled child's allowance until you turned 18, you do not have to get another full diagnosis as an adult to keep getting benefits from the National Insurance Institute. You are, however, required to provide current documents regarding your condition, including a recent medical opinion from a psychiatrist or developmental neurologist and a report from your educational or occupational background.
As soon as the National Insurance Institute says you are an adult with ASD, you may be able to get benefits like a monthly general disability allowance, professional and occupational rehabilitation, a certificate of disability, and more. These benefits will depend on how disabled you are and how much you can not work, which will be decided by the National Insurance medical committee.
Information about the criteria a general disability allowance on the National Insurance website (Hebrew)
Information on professional rehabilitation on the National Insurance website (Hebrew)
Information about additional services and benefits for eligible persons from National Insurance (Hebrew)
HMO
Some of the benefits that adults with ASD can get from their HMO are:
- Not having to pay a deductible for some HMO services.
- It is free to get general anesthesia for dental care.
- Helping to pay for voice output communication devices, image panels, or tablets that help adults with ASD who can not talk in order to communicate.
Social services
By virtue of the Social Services for People with Disabilities Law (Hebrew) that went into effect in June 2022, people with ASD are entitled to receive a personalized services basket for housing, employment, and recreation from the Ministry of Welfare designed to facilitate an independent and autonomous life in the community and integration in the job market. For clarification and registration, contact the social worker who coordinates the field of disabilities in the local authority or the Department of Social Services in your area of residence.
These are the main benefits from the Ministry of Welfare:
More information on the Ministry of Welfare’s Disabilities Administration website
Military or national service
By virtue of the Security Service Law, the National Insurance Institute sends the IDF medical information about the young draftees into the security service, including those diagnosed with ASD. Young people with ASD who are defined as middle- or low-functioning receive an automatic exemption from the IDF, while those defined as high and extremely high functioning will be sent a summons to the medical committee that will determine the recruit’s eligibility to serve in various positions. In any case, even if you received an automatic exemption and you want to volunteer, you can try to participate in special courses for service with Autism: the Hiburim program (Hebrew) to prepare for the IDF, the Titkadmu program (Hebrew) designed to recruit into the army young men and women who were diagnosed with ASD regardless of their recognition by National Insurance, and the Roim Rahok that trains and accompanies adults with ASD in the IDF and at work, in professions in which the characteristics of ASD prove to be advantageous,
Another option is volunteering for national service through the Meshalvim program that is operated by the Gvanim association, in conjunction with government ministries, assistance organizations and volunteer organizations. This program allows young men and women with disabilities to integrate in significant service in the community such as the education system and health care system, and prepares them for the world of employment.
Post-secondary education
Several institutions of higher education in Israel currently offer special programs for integrating students with ASD who are high functioning, such as: Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, Ariel University, Seminar Hakibbutzim, Gal College, the integrated college of Beit Issie Shapiro .
Additional benefits
Adults with ASD who receive a general disability allowance or special services allowance are entitled to several additional discounts:
- Discount in the water bill.
- Discount in property taxes.
- Discount in the electricity bill.
- Discount in income tax (credits)
- Discount in purchase tax - real estate license.
- Disabled parking badge and exemption from vehicle license fee.
- Discount in public transportation.
- Disabled parking badge and exemption from vehicle license fee.
- Exemption from standing in line and exemption from payment for escort in public places (other than places where payment is for personal service for the escort, such as a movie theater).
- Discount in bank fees.
- Loans to assist in the purchase of apartments.
- Approval to employ a foreign worker to care for a person with ASD.
- Issuing ID without having to be present.
- Issuing a green form online to begin to study driving (approval must be obtained as a medical service from the Ministry of Transportation).
To help exercise services and for additional support, contact associations and organizations that specialize in supporting people with ASD and their families, such as ALUT, Oti, Effie, Beit Ekstein.
In conclusion, it is important for us to emphasize that we know that the diagnosis and recognition may be challenging as is dealing with the bureaucratic systems but you should remember that a professional diagnosis is also an opportunity for you. Official recognition can help you better understand your past experiences while allowing you to achieve positive change, growth, personal development and optimal quality of life.
Assisted in the preparation of the article: Ido Michaeli-Assor, speech pathologist, Autism Department at the Ministry of Health and director of the "Shavim" Center in Jerusalem.