ABSTRACT
In 2017, the British government's Department of Personnel and Training wrote to all central government departments to ensure that 1 per cent of all posts be reserved for people with autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness. The suitability, or otherwise, of a military career for individuals on the spectrum is certainly a matter for considerable debate. On the one hand, proponents have pointed out, the disciplined, rule-based lifestyle may appeal and some people with autism can remain calm and courageous under pressure. On the other hand, sceptics have noted that Army life thrives on group conformity and is scarcely known for its appreciation of differences — which is why bullying tends to be so prevalent in military life. The Israeli Army began recruiting young employees on the autism spectrum to scan high-resolution satellite images for suspicious objects or movements.
