Bituach Leumi Benefits Autism Diagnosis

amother

OP ↓

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 10:28 am

My son received a diagnosis of being on the autistic spectrum. How do I go about getting benefits through bituach leumi? Someone said something about needing to see a psychiatrist. Is there any organization I can talk to, to explain to me how to do this? Any other benefits/services I should know about? Thanks!

amother

Nasturtium ↓

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 11:07 am

amother OP wrote:

Who diagnosed him? You need both a psychiatrist or a neurologist and a psychologist (only certain types).

How old is he?

amother

Cherry

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 12:04 pm

BTDT. Who diagnosed him? If it was through the kupah, you should have seen both a neurologist/psychologist and a developmental pediatrician. Assuming you have letters from both of them, go to Bituach Leumi's website and fill out an application for גמלת ילד נכה and upload the documents. DO NOT PAY ANYONE TO HELP YOU WITH IT. These organizations take a big cut of the money and you don't need them because you're entitled to 100% neichut and should get it easily without needing any help. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 12:06 pm

amother Nasturtium wrote:

Who diagnosed him? You need both a psychiatrist or a neurologist and a psychologist (only certain types).

How old is he?

A clinical psychologist whose specialty is ASD.
14 years old

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 12:09 pm

amother Cherry wrote:

Evaluation was done privately by clinical psychologist who specializes in this. He was too old to go through hitpachtut hayeled and the wait time for tziburi at a hospital was 2 years.
What is the next step? Neurologist or psychiatrist? What to do if the child won't go the doctor? Will me going alone be enough?

amother

Strawberry

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 12:43 pm

amother OP wrote:

A new law came in a couple of years ago which means that you can't get benefits unless you get the evaluation through the public system. Ask Chaim vechesed if there is a way around this.

you need either a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Not both. The child has to go with. The reason they brought in this law was because people were paying for the diagnosis for the benefits. They no longer accept a letter from a psychiatrist unless the psychiatrist has done an evaluation.

amother

↑ OP

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 1:23 pm

amother Strawberry wrote:

Oh no

They did not tell me the ivchun had to be tziburi. At sheirut psychologi chinuchi the psychologist and psychiatrist saw him and said he needs an ivchun urgently and off the record recommended going private because of the wait time. It was still a 6 month wait for the ivchun and cost way more. Will going back to the psychiatrist at shapach help this situation of it needing to be tziburi? I had been planning to take a private psychiatrist because I wanted someone easily accessible.

amother

↑ Nasturtium ↓

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 1:57 pm

amother Strawberry wrote:

This isn't true. My son got an ASD dx last year. We did everything private. Tzibori didn't work for us. However, he was 6, but first grade so we couldn't do hitpatchut hayeled. 14 is a bigger challenge.

I do also need to evaluate my 10 YO. I'm not excited.

amother

↑ Nasturtium ↓

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 2:01 pm

amother OP wrote:

Oh no

You can go private but make sure his evaluation are accepted by BL. Talk to Chaim V'chessed to confirm the psychiatrist you are using has a good reputation.

I went private and private also for time concerns because the school desperately recommended.

amother

↑ Nasturtium

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 2:04 pm

amother OP wrote:

Oh no

Have you checked if the kuppah will reimburse you? I got 1800 shekel from the kuppa. But I'm not sure it always works the same way. I went to a psychiatrists first and he recommended the psychologist workup. The kuppah gave it to me but hesitantly.

My next kid, a kuppah psychiatrist referred and I got the ishur with no problem at all. (The 10 YO)

mummy85

Sun, Sep 01 2024, 2:08 pm

amother Strawberry wrote:

No true.

I just had 2 kids diagnosed recently and both were private. Getting the kupa to accept is a different step (Leumit).
You need a psychiatrist/nurologist to sign off and well as a clinical psychologist who does all the appropriate testing for ASD.
You need to make sure that all the doctors you use are accepted by Bituach Leumi. You do NOT need to involve the kupa at all.
Do note that Bituach Leumi has been very strict as many people have been scamming the system.
Also when Bituach Leumi does a vaada to decide if you get or not. They don't always require you to come in. Sometimes they do it without the parents/child.
My kids were 14 and 13 when diagnosed.
Hatzlocha