Although the evidence of effectiveness of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) for children with autism is growing, very little is known about the process parents go through in deciding to implement such a program. We interviewed 30 mothers whose children had been on an EIBI program to investigate more systematically how and why they chose EIBI. Typically mothers were informed about EIBI through other parents, books and the internet. Their expectations of treatment outcomes ranged from their child being cured of autism to no clear expectations. Some families had access to funding through their local educational department, some had to fund part or the whole program themselves, whereas some received funding after a dispute with their educational department. (Contains 8 tables.)