Israeli teenagers normally have to serve in the Army for 2 - 3 years, but until recently autistic citizens were exempt even if they wished to serve. A program that trains high-functioning autistic high school graduates for specialized intelligence tasks has been quite successful so far, and has lifelong benefits since military experience is an important means of job training and networking in Israel.

yes!

Wow, autism seen as a strength:

The relationship is a mutually beneficial one. For these young people, the unit is an opportunity to participate in a part of Israeli life that might otherwise be closed to them. And for the military, it’s an opportunity to harness the unique skill sets that often come with autism: extraordinary capacities for visual thinking and attention to detail, both of which lend themselves well to the highly specialized task of aerial analysis.