Newsletter No. 485

04 # 4 8 5 | 1 9 . 1 0 . 2 0 1 6 以音樂為鑰匙 If Music be the Key to the Heart 鑽 進上海街街尾一排相連舊唐樓的隱蔽入口，心理學系的陳瑞燕教授（右圖）登上又窄 又陡的樓梯，來到她新近經營的「音樂心智培訓」教室。八個小孩在父母陪同下魚貫 而入，脫鞋後在六百餘呎的教室跑來跑去。陳教授熱情地向他們揮手打招呼，可是沒有一張小 臉肯抬頭望望她充滿笑意的眼睛或是回道一聲早安。別誤會是小孩不懂禮貌；表情辨識與眼 神交流這些普通孩子信手拈來的能力，對自閉症兒童來說並非那般理所當然。 寓教於「樂」 教室裏有電子琴、小提琴和各式小型樂器如三角鈴、沙錘、中國鼓，但這裏並非普通的親子 唱遊班。「音樂是條輸送帶，傳遞我們真正想教會自閉症小朋友的東西—語言溝通、情緒控 制、專注力等。要自閉症孩子上九十分鐘的課並非易事，所以我們用音樂將教學內容串連起 來，讓他們較易投入其中。」陳教授說。 一年前，陳教授獲得中大研究及知識轉移服務處（研轉處）首屆「可持續知識轉移基金」撥款 四十萬元，成立了慧能培訓協會有限公司，將她多年來結合腦神經心理學與音樂的研究透過 開辦社企從大學帶到社會。 早於1998年，陳教授已在 Nature 發表合著文章，揭示音樂培訓與大腦開發的關聯。文中 說：「音樂培訓優勝於其他倚靠文字的記憶訓練法。其一，玩樂器愉悅身心，比起記憶訓練 更易引起兒童興趣。其二，音樂訓練對語言能力並無要求，所以更適合語言障礙人士鍛煉記 憶力。」 開始上課。孩子們首先在導師歡快的鋼琴伴奏下逐一上前自我介紹，學習社交技巧。之後的 音樂培訓分成四個環節，包括跟節奏以鼓棍敲擊地板、以跳躍或蹲下動作認識高音低音、咿 咿呀呀地學唱沒有歌詞的曲子練習發聲，以及透過表現開心、憤怒和恐懼的交響樂認識各種 情緒。 我們或多或少都聽過自閉症兒童是音樂神童或數學天才的故事，但陳教授指出那是個誤區： 「我們既不應該歧視自閉症人士，認定他們毫無作為；也不應該神化他們，以為他們全都擁 有絕對音準或是過目不忘的超強記憶。普通人當中總有一定比例的人才華出眾，自閉症群體 也一樣。」 天賦開動未來 除了透過音樂提升自閉症兒童的認知能力，陳教授成立慧能培訓更重要的目標是幫助他們發 掘興趣與強項，加以栽培成一技之長，讓特殊需要人士也能發展自我，過上有意義的生活。 「有些自閉症孩子語言發展遲緩，甚至完全缺乏說話能力，很難遵循一般的升學就業途 徑—考上大學，當個專業人士。慧能培訓的英文名是Pro-talent，即支持發展天賦，如音樂、 繪畫、陶藝、烹飪、園藝，讓自閉症青年能成為樂師、畫師、陶藝師、廚師、園藝師，令他們以 自己的職業為傲。自閉症人士最需要的不只是一個工作機會，而是一份生活的尊嚴。」 知識造福社會 研轉處 何居理 先生專責企業及社會創新的資助項目，他和團隊見證了慧能培訓協會從遞交申 請到正式開業的全過程。「我最欣賞陳教授對自己的目標與使命非常清晰，同時擁有充沛的 社會資本，面對困難時總能愈戰愈勇。」 除了四十萬的種子啟動資金，慧能培訓協會可在開業第二年繼續申請「可持續知識轉移基 金」，金額最多為二十萬元，以推展下一步計劃，例如為有音樂潛質的自閉症兒童籌組室樂 團。金錢支持以外，研轉處還為陳教授物色了「黑暗中對話」前行政總裁 彭桓基 先生擔任她 的商業顧問，提供社企運作方面的專業意見。 何先生說：「『可持續知識轉移基金』歡迎曾受惠於『知識轉移項目基金』的教授申請，把累 積的經驗和社會資本從有期限的項目延伸至可持續發展的社企，亦藉此擴大受益者的類別 和數量。 『可持續知識轉移基金』的革新之處在於它帶領學界走向社企之路，支持以創新思維改善社 會問題，也強調企業的持續營運之道。社企界與學界往後定必碰撞出多元合作的花火。」 D isappearing into a wide block of traditional Chinese tenements at the end of Shanghai Street, Prof. Agnes Chan (above), a CUHK clinical psychologist, ascends the steep and narrow steps that lead up to her newly opened Music Neuropsychology Training Centre. Eight children file in in the company of their parents, slip off their shoes and frolic around in the 600 sq. ft. area. Professor Chan waves hello to them enthusiastically, but none of the kids ever looks her in the eye to acknowledge or reciprocate the greeting. That is not something to be taken personally, because reading facial expressions and making eye contact, two of the social skills that most of us pick up naturally, can be very challenging for people on the autism spectrum. Music in the Mind The classroom is equipped with a digital piano, a violin and assorted small instruments such as triangles, maracas and Chinese drums, but this is no ordinary music playgroup. ‘Music acts as a conveyor belt that carries what we truly want to impart to the autistic children—verbal expression, emotional control, concentration and so on. It’s not easy to have an autistic child’s attention for 90 minutes, so we use music as a means to engage the interest of the little learners,’ says Professor Chan. A year ago, having received a funding of HK$400,000 from the Sustainable Knowledge Transfer Project Fund (S-KPF) administered by the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS), Professor Chan started up the Pro-talent Association, a social enterprise that brings her decades of research on the neuropsychology of music out of campus to the community. As early as 1998, in a co-authored article published in Nature , Professor Chan revealed the link between music training and improved brain functions: ‘Music training has advantages over other means (to improve verbal memory). First, it may be easier to engage children in playing musical instruments, which is an enjoyable activity, than in mnemonic strategies. Second, musical training requires little verbal skill, so it may be more suitable as a memory- training technique for patients with language impairment.’ Class begins. With the aid of delightful tunes played by the instructor, each child is encouraged to introduce him/herself to the rest to practise his/her social skills. The following musical training is divided into four sessions: having the kids tap tempo against the floor with drumsticks, leap or squat on cues of high or low notes, sing nonsensical nursery rhymes to exercise vocal muscles, and discern emotions like joy, anger and fear through appreciating various symphonies. Many of us have heard stories about autistic children who turn out to be music prodigies or math geniuses, which according to Professor Chan is a misconception. ‘It is just as wrong to