Israeli Social Security Deputy CEO Denies Families Exploit Autism Benefits Amid Rising Diagnoses
The home of D, mother to 15-year-old Uri who has severe autism and behavioral issues, is meticulously organized to manage his frequent violent outbursts, which sometimes require police intervention. Uri is classified as low-functioning and nonverbal, needing constant assistance. In contrast, Shai-Li, another autistic teenager considered high-functioning, attends regular school and travels independently but struggles emotionally and functionally at home, requiring extensive parental support.
Recently, Zvika Cohen, Deputy CEO of Israel's National Insurance Institute, expressed concern at a Brookdale Institute conference about the rapid increase in autism diagnoses and related benefit claims. He suggested some families might be seeking autism diagnoses primarily to obtain disability benefits, noting a shift from previously hidden cases to openly declaring autism for financial support. Cohen questioned how the number of diagnosed autistic individuals in Israel has doubled so quickly in recent years.
This statement sparked strong reactions from families and advocates who invited Cohen to visit their homes to witness the real challenges of raising autistic children. They emphasized that no family would choose autism for financial gain given the immense difficulties involved. The author, a mother and autism advocate, invited Cohen to meet her 22-year-old autistic son Dan, highlighting the exhausting care required and the sacrifices families make.
The article stresses that while the OECD report cited by Cohen aims to help countries manage rising autism diagnoses and benefits, the funds provided are insufficient to cover necessary therapies. Families often pay out of pocket for additional treatments due to inadequate educational and healthcare services. Early intervention is crucial to improving independence, yet adult support remains severely lacking.
Cohen proposed a points-based system to differentiate benefit levels, but the article questions how such a system could fairly assess complex autism cases, which involve diverse physical, emotional, and sensory challenges beyond simple high- or low-functioning labels. Instead of focusing on cutting benefits, the article calls for Israel to invest in training specialists and adequately compensating professionals in education and welfare who support autistic individuals. This approach, it argues, would better serve autistic people and their families than confronting them over benefit claims.
