The notion that autistic children process information predominantly by strategies of the right cerebral hemisphere from birth, and unless unusual events occur, continue to be right hemisphere processors throughout their life, is examined. Evidence that suggests that cerebral dominance may be present at birth in normal humans, and that for normal humans each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex may be responsible for different kinds of information processing is presented as the context from which the new model of autistic development emerges. Two preliminary experiments involving listening preferences of autistic and normal Ss (with mean ages ranging from 5 to 10 years) are cited as having tested and supported the hypothesis that the right cerebral hemisphere is more active than the left hemisphere in autistic children. Implications of the model for diagnosis and treatment of autism are presented. (Author)