We had a lot of talk about autism this week. Delegates Bob Marshall and David Poisson had worked on a bill that would have expanded insurance coverage to mandate coverage for autism. It died in committee.

However, through a rarely-used parliamentary move, Delegate Marshall moved to discharge the committee (essentially forcing a floor vote). That motion also was defeated.

Later, we voted–twice–on a voucher bill that had been rewriten to focus on services for children with autism.

For a growing number of Virginia families, these are not academic conversations. Their children have been diagnosed with autism and they are struggling to find effective treatments.

No one knows what is causing the rise in autism in young children. But one thing we learned this week: the fear that vaccines might cause autism has been laid to rest.

Turns out the doctor who made those charges simply made up his data. So many parents mistakenly withheld life-saving vaccinations from their children.

The doctor will face professional disgrace and perhaps even criminal charges. But how can he ever make amends to parents who have spent years worrying that they may have somehow been responsible for their child’s disability?