OECD criticizes Israeli scheme to support children on the autism spectrum

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report on support for children on the autism spectrum in its member countries, in which it criticized the support scheme in Israel.

According to the report, Israel is the only OECD country that automatically pays a benefit to every child diagnosed with autism, regardless of the child’s needs and level of functioning and the impact of care on the parents’ ability to work.

The consequence of this policy was an eightfold increase in the number of diagnoses over 13 years, excessive assistance for high-functioning children and insufficient assistance for children with severe autism. This provokes a colossal increase in government spending and reduces the quality of care for those who need it most.

The number of children under 18 years of age receiving benefits due to a diagnosis of autism has increased 8 times – from 7,292 in 2011 to 60,195 in 2024. In other OECD countries, the number of diagnosed children is also growing, but not at such a rapid pace, but by 6-10% per year. It should be emphasized that we are not talking about an increase in the prevalence of autistic disorders, but about an increase in diagnosis due to increased awareness and decreased stigma.

“While in all other countries studied, access to support is determined primarily by the needs of the child, Israel stands out as the only country where the diagnosis itself guarantees access to services and benefits. This creates a distortion in the distribution of resources – a family with a child on the autism spectrum with low needs will receive more support in Israel than in any other country studied. A family with a child with high support needs will receive better, and often significantly better, support in other OECD countries,” the report says.

The report’s authors recommend three key reforms for Israel: eliminating automatic eligibility for medical diagnosis benefits and moving toward functional capacity assessments; replacing a single package of services with individual support based on the needs of a particular child; strengthening control over the diagnostic process.