We would not need to communicate with language if our mental processes were transparent to others. Nor would we have the advantage of being able to lie. Even if our mind were transparent to others, we might still need language for efficient thinking. Minds are opaque in nature. We can introspect only partially. Our subconscious processes are not available to us except indirectly. The opacity of mind makes it a difficult but fascinating area of study. The best way to approach the study of mind is through language. Because of mental opacity we need to have a Theory of Mind to understand others' minds - this may be defined as the ability to impute the mental states that one has oneself to others. Theory of mind is well within the capacity of a 'normal' child by four years of age. Children with autism have problems in acquiring a theory of mind.

According to Daniel Dennet (1996), mind with language is so different from mind without language that calling both 'minds' is a mistake. Humans are social beings, and language is inseparable from social interaction - of which one manifestation is conversation. Conversation is an interaction where information is exchanged between speaker and hearer, and vice versa, often resulting in mutual satisfaction. It relies on mutual understanding. Conversation with individuals affected by Autism is characterized by problems in this mutual understanding, with verbal communication taking unexpected turns.

Present study
The present study is an analysis of the language and communication problems of an individual with autism. The subject 'A' is a sixteen-year-old boy with a diagnosis of autism, according to the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV manual. He is a multilingual child with Bengali as his mother tongue, as well as English and Hindi. The subject is extremely verbal and can communicate in all these languages. The subject comes from a middle class family in Delhi. His father is a professor in a University and mother is a housewife. A attends a special school in Delhi. A close look at the language and communication of A indicates a lot of problems characteristic of the disorder autism.

His mental schema seems to consist mainly of certain likes and dislikes that are repeated on various occasions in his conversation. The present study is based on the researcher's visits to the Special Education Centre for a period of about one and a half years. During these visits, there was constant interaction with A - and based on that a diary was also maintained which contains almost forty episodes of conversations with him.

Cultural references in the language
Certain specific images or sign systems like the God Hanuman, some temples, gurujis, religions, Punjabi culture etc. seem to have been recorded firmly in A's mind. These elements are repeated in proper and also in inappropriate situations in the conversation with him. Certain excerpts from the conversation serve to highlight this:

Teacher: What is religion?
A. I don't like the word 'religion'.
Teacher: What are the different religions?
A. Christian and Bhumivaka religion. I am not scared of religion now; I want to talk about religion. At temple why do they put "chudha"?
Teacher: I don't know what is "chudha"?
A. It is like a film.

The teacher shows a picture and asks...
Teacher: Who do you think the taller girl in the picture is?
A. Why I like the Hanumanji? I like Hanuman...Hanumanji (repeats many times) Gabanji Gurudwara.
Teacher: What is the name of the school?
A. Arjun.

Repetitive utterances
Repetition is one of the major characteristics of the language of autistic children. It seems that there is a personal attachment or love towards a particular phrase or word. A often repeats set phrases in conversation.

Teacher: Go for the assembly.
A. I don't want to go for the assembly. Why I don't want to go for the assembly? It is my choice. Can I laugh now?
Teacher: Is climate a permanent thing?
A. Is it reversible? It is irreversible. Climate is irreversible (repeats) Can I laugh now? You can laugh now (repeats).

Lack of novelty or creativity in language
The subject in this study was given an assignment:
Question: How did you spend your holidays?
A. I spent my holidays by listening to music. I spent my holidays by getting presents. I spent my holidays by going for a walk. I spent my holidays by going to B-10. I spent my holidays by helping my father.

Code switching and nonsense utterances
It has already been mentioned that the subject in the present study is a multilingual child. Some of the instances of conversation with A show that there is a shift from English to Bengali or Hindi while the grounds of the conversation are in English. This kind of shifting is generally called code switching. Many times the switching results in nonsense utterances.
Teacher: A boy goes to a shop and buys a chocolate costing Rs.4. He gives Rs.10 to the shopkeeper. How much money will he get back?
A. He will get back panch allah...He will get back heena paana maani. He will get back how many change?... Kaali Baari Rs.4

It is my choice
Most of the time, the rationality for a particular behaviour of A is expressed through his argument of choice. Especially likes and dislikes are often expressed through his choice.
A. I am not troubling anyone now. Why? Because I am big. I don't like boys now. I like girls. Why? Because it is my choice.

Discussion
Most of the research findings in the area of language and communication in autism indicate an intact phonological and syntactic system in individuals with autism. Problems in communication arise mainly in the third dimension of language, called pragmatics or language usage.

One of the important aspects of the language of A is his repetition of certain words and phrases. Code switching and nonsense utterances are present on many occasions. Here the matrix language is always English and the embedded language can be Hindi, Bengali or a nonsense utterance. Certain cultural and religious signifiers seem to be permanently fixed in the subject's mind. It seems that his mental schema from a structuralist perspective can be reduced to certain signs or elements such as gods like Hanuman, and religions.

In the communication of individuals with autism, intention, which is the core of any utterance, is often lacking. Even though many of A's utterances in this study demand the hearer's attention- like "Can I laugh now?" and "Please give me a hug" - other utterances are like monologues. The basic factor essential for communication is a 'theory of mind', which is not fully developed in autistic children. Its absence or impairment affects the inter-subjective understanding essential in successful communication. As a result, communication in autism can seem self-centered.