\nAccording to data published by the Ministry of Education, approximately 56,000 students in Israel have been diagnosed with autism\u201416% of all students eligible for special education services. Around 22,000 of them attend dedicated special education programs, while the remainder are integrated into regular schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cAutism Awareness Day invites us to pause and reflect on what we\u2019ve learned from real experience,\u201d said Education Minister Yoav Kisch. \u201cEvery student brings their own way of understanding the world, and every teacher knows how much diversity exists in a single classroom. When we meet that diversity with open eyes\u2014without judgment or rigid expectations\u2014that\u2019s where true education begins.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ministry Director-General Meir Shimoni added: \u201cA good classroom isn\u2019t one where everyone is the same. It\u2019s one that knows how to include everyone. Today, more than ever, we understand that student diversity isn\u2019t something external to the system\u2014it\u2019s part of what defines it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharp Rise in Autism Diagnoses<\/strong> Currently, 36,319 people in Israel are recognized by the Ministry of Welfare as being on the spectrum\u2014up from 31,479 the previous year. In 2024 alone, 4,840 children and adults were newly recognized by the Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Today, approximately 10,000 people with autism, across all support levels, are living independently within their communities.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the coming years, more and more people with disabilities\u2014and with autism in particular\u2014will be an integral part of community life in Israel,\u201d said Minister of Welfare Yaakov Margi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New figures from the Ministry of Education reveal that students with autism now represent 16% of all those eligible for special education. Schools across the country are marking the day with activities that promote inclusion and awareness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":18664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2276,85,65],"tags":[3682,3687,3686,3685,3683,3681,2512,2224,3688,3684,3680,2886],"class_list":["post-18662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","category-positive-moment","category-world","tag-autism-in-israel","tag-autism-policy-in-israel","tag-commission-for-equal-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities","tag-disability-rights","tag-inclusion","tag-meir-shimoni","tag-ministry-of-education","tag-ministry-of-welfare","tag-social-inclusion","tag-special-education","tag-world-autism-awareness-day","tag-yoav-kisch"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/tisms2-1024x683.jpg\")
\nYesterday, the Ministry of Welfare released new data showing a 15% rise in the rate of autism diagnoses in Israel. Each year, an average of 4,500 additional individuals are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.<\/p>\n