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Most Armies Ignore Autistic People. Israel Is Calling Them Up.
(Business Insider) Joshua Zitser - Ro'im Rachok is an innovative Israeli program founded in 2013 to match young adults on the autism spectrum with military professions that need manpower. Tal Vardi, a Mossad veteran who helped found the program, described the program as mutually beneficial for the IDF, people with autism, and their families. Autistic volunteers are assigned to units where they are deemed to have a comparative advantage - usually military intelligence. So far, more than 300 soldiers have been recruited to the IDF and serve across 27 different units. The first unit to recruit these soldiers was Unit 9900 that collects, analyzes, and interprets visual images from satellites, drones, and reconnaissance flights. Many autistic soldiers seemed to have a natural aptitude for aerial-photo analysis, while neurotypical soldiers are easily distracted. People with autism show an increased ability to focus their attention on certain tasks. Pvt. E., an autistic soldier, said he finds his work for the IDF enjoyable, and it's easier for him than many of his neurotypical colleagues. "I don't want to say I'm slightly superior, because that's condescending, but it sometimes really is annoying when you can clearly see something that others don't."