“I spent my whole life feeling different. Like people didn’t see me for who I really was. Like I didn’t belong.”
Evyatar Lugasi was 22 years old when he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. By then, he had already completed high school, served in the IDF, and spent years trying to understand why things that seemed natural to others felt so much harder for him.
It took several more years for him to fully understand what the diagnosis meant.
Today, Evyatar participates in Israel Elwyn’s Job Placement Program, which supports people with disabilities in finding meaningful employment and developing the skills needed to succeed in the workplace and in the community.
“The diagnosis taught me who Evyatar is,” he says. “It helped me understand myself better. But it’s not all I am.”
His story is becoming increasingly common. In recent years, organizations like Israel Elwyn have seen growing numbers of young adults and adults receiving an autism diagnosis later in life.
Many completed their education in mainstream schools. Some earned outstanding matriculation certificates, obtained university degrees, or successfully completed national or military service.
Many have successfully navigated educational settings, military or national service, and employment, while quietly struggling with social challenges, anxiety, and a persistent sense of being different.
Often, they knew there was something different about themselves but could not explain exactly what it was. The challenge is that autism is not always recognized in the early stages of life.
In many cases, its characteristics overlap with other conditions. Social difficulties may be interpreted as anxiety. Repetitive behaviors may resemble obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Academic struggles may be attributed to learning disabilities.
Sometimes, individuals, parents, educators, and professionals all sense that something is different but struggle to identify the underlying reason. For some, receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood brings enormous relief.
For the first time, they have a framework for understanding experiences that have accompanied them for years. The diagnosis provides a comforting “title” for the challenges they could never fully explain.
For others, the autism label triggers more complicated emotions.
Parents often ask themselves whether things could have been different had they known earlier. Some young adults struggle to reconcile the diagnosis with the identity they have built over many years.
After seeing themselves as successful students, soldiers, or professionals, understanding what an autism diagnosis means for their future can be challenging.
Yet from our experience at Israel Elwyn, it is often not about the diagnosis. It’s about the support that is needed. So the most important question is, what happens afterward?
Many adults do not seek an autism evaluation simply to better understand themselves.
More often, they are trying to access support. They may need employment, perhaps vocational training or supported housing community services, or guidance on how to exercise their rights.
In other words, the diagnosis often becomes the gateway to the services they need.
From diagnosis to support gaps
This is where many people encounter significant barriers.
Some individuals fall into the space between disability services and mental health services. Others find themselves moving between different systems, unsure which services are most appropriate for their needs.
New immigrants frequently face additional challenges, as diagnostic reports and medical documentation from abroad do not always align with Israeli assessment processes.
We at Israel Elwyn also encounter many young adults whose first major crisis occurs during the transition to adulthood.
Some of them may have studied in mainstream educational settings throughout their lives, but encounter significant barriers during military induction or entry into the workforce.
Others spend years trying to manage independently without realizing that support programs and community resources are available to help them succeed. For this reason, the public conversation about autism in adulthood must move beyond diagnosis alone.
Diagnosis is important. It can provide understanding, validation, and sometimes profound relief. But diagnosis is not the goal.
The goal is to ensure that all people receive the support they need according to their abilities, aspirations, and individual circumstances.
In recent years, the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry, together with service providers such as Israel Elwyn, has increasingly promoted a person-centered approach that focuses not only on a diagnostic label but also on providing the support that enables individuals to thrive.
This approach recognizes that people have different goals and may require different types of assistance in employment, housing, vocational training, community participation, and independent living.
Not all people with autism need the same services. Neither do all people with anxiety nor all people with learning disabilities.
The best approach for the future lies in creating flexible, individualized support systems that allow people to access the specific tools and opportunities they need to build the lives they want.
At Israel Elwyn, we see every day how the right support can positively change the trajectory of a person’s life. Young adults and adults who arrive after years of confusion, frustration, and unanswered questions often gain confidence, build social connections, enter the workforce, and achieve greater independence.
Evyatar perhaps says it best: “Autism is part of me, but it is not all that I am.”
That may be the most important lesson for us all.
We must see the person before the diagnosis and ensure that our support systems foster collaboration between national and local governments, along with social service organizations, and provide all the support people need to be fully included members of society.
The writer is assistant CEO for International Relations at Israel Elwyn, an organization providing services for people with disabilities across all communities in Israel.