Parents in your area will become a very important resource for you. Other parents will know which therapists and consultants are experienced and knowledgeable and which are not.
Useful resources for locating other parents are organizations like:
FEAT (Families for Early Autism Treatment)- This is a non-profit organization of parents that advocate for early and intensive treatment for children with Autism. They have several chapters throughout the U.S. Their website is http://www.feat.org/
Autism Society of America- The ASA is one of the oldest Autism non-profit organizations and may have chapters in areas that FEAT does not. Their website is http://www.autism-society.org/
The ARC of the United States- is an advocacy group that also my have resources to direct you to other parents and professionals in your area. Their website is http://www.thearc.org/