Autism

The National Insurance Institute faces severe criticism from labor courts and lawyers after freezing thousands of autism disability allowances amid fraud suspicions and secret blacklists.

A Netanya hotel evicted a family after a 14-year-old boy on the autism spectrum shouted in the lobby. Tourism Ministry Director-General Michael Yitzhakov demanded an official inquiry into the incident.

Claims by a veteran autism researcher regarding the over-expansion of diagnostic criteria have sparked an international stir. Conversely, researchers and activists warn that questioning diagnoses harms those diagnosed and their rights.

Jessica Fletcher from Canada tattooed a full keyboard on her forearm for her 11-year-old son Hunter, who is on the autism spectrum and is non-verbal. The idea was born after his communication device died during a meal at a restaurant. When she showed him the tattoo, he grabbed her arm and typed the word "Mama" on it.

Following a funding dispute with the Ministry of Health, the "Oti" association will continue providing developmental medical care in Eilat's kindergartens for the upcoming school year. This outcome spares families from long waits, travel, and the burden of private therapy costs.

The 9-year-old began to limp and his condition deteriorated until he had to move in a wheelchair. At the hospital, it turned out that he was suffering from scurvy due to a severe vitamin C deficiency. "In cases of severe deficiency and significant delay in diagnosis, bone damage and even tooth loss can occur."

Jessica Fletcher, a mother of an autistic child who does not speak, tattooed a full keyboard on her arm with letters, faces, and an "I love you" button. The idea was born in a moment of crisis, when the batteries in her son Hunter's communication device ran out at a restaurant — and in response, he drew a keyboard on a napkin and began pointing.

New therapeutic groups established at Achva Academic College for bereaved families and friends, as well as for adolescents on the autism spectrum, aim to provide much-needed support in the region.

As part of the US administration's move to change childhood vaccination policy, the US President signed a new executive order focusing on 11 key vaccines against diseases and viruses defined as the most serious. On the agenda: Hepatitis B, flu, and COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended in the way they were previously.

Laniado Medical Center has launched Israel's first pediatric emergency department specifically adapted for children on the autism spectrum and those with disabilities.