Israel’s goal is to annually recruit 500 youth with ASD
By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)
Israel is once again shattering a glass ceiling. For the first time in world history, youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will be actively recruited into mainstream military units. Until now, most of the military was closed off to ASD youth (with the exception of the “Special in Uniform” volunteer program, which itself was the first of its kind in the world).
The soldiers will be serving in various units, including cybersecurity, software testing, systems development, intelligence, network management and the elite “Unit 820” which protects IDF secrets. They will be going through the exact same basic and specialty training expected of all IDF soldiers. The fellow soldiers in their units will be apprised of their disabilities beforehand. Only those that are considered “High functioning” shall be recruited.
Until fairly recently, it was common for capable ASD youth to be excluded from high-end jobs, due to their inability to recognize social cues and appearances. While people are becoming more aware of this type of disability, much work remains to be done. This program represents a major step forward in integrating special needs youth into Israeli society. Not only will they gain key social skills and self-confidence needed to succeed, but they will pick up (much in demand) professional skills, particularly in high paying jobs such as high tech.
It must be noted that the ASD youth are not the only ones to benefit from the program, but the IDF will also be able to tap into a tremendous resource! Persons with high functioning autism are often extremely intelligent, detail oriented and possess phenomenal memories.
A common characteristic shared by this population is an obsession in the fields which interest them such as math, astronomy, and computers to name but a few. Much of their time is spent studying their favored topics as a hobby, becoming experts and innovators in those areas (it’s no coincidence that a disproportionate number of high-tech billionaires are ASD, having successfully turned their obsession into a profession). Their interests and their abilities to quickly analyze data make them irreplaceable assets, which will ultimately save thousands of Israelis lives.
The IDF’s stated goal (within the next 2 years) is to recruit 500, high functioning autistic youth per year!
Nosson Shulman is a journalist and Licensed Tour Guide in Israel specializing in Biblical tours. To allow tourists to experience Israel during the Corona era, he created the new hit Israel tour video series which brings Israel to the home of viewers by simulating actual tours. To check out his free sneak preview tour videos, click here. To view sample tour itineraries or to inquire about private tour opportunities with a personalized itinerary on your next trip to Israel, click here.
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