How I use Minecraft to help kids with autism | Stuart Duncan

翻译人员: Qinghui Yu 校对人员: Lucy Cao

My name is Stuart Duncan,

我叫斯图尔特·邓肯，

but I'm actually probably better known online as "AutismFather."

但实际在网络上， 我更为人熟知的身份是“自闭症之父”。

That's me on the internet.

这就是我在网上的形象。

I know the resemblance is uncanny.

我知道很难把我和网上那个形象联系起来。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But I'm going to talk a little bit today about Minecraft.

不过今天我要谈谈一款游戏叫“我的世界（Minecraft）”。

That's my Minecraft character.

这是我在这款游戏中的形象。

If you don't know the game very well, don't worry too much about it.

如果你对这款游戏不太了解，这没关系。

It's just the medium that I used at the time to fill a need.

它只是我用来满足特定需要的平台。

And what I want to talk about applies to pretty much every situation.

而我今天想讲的内容是具有普遍性的。

So about four years ago, I started a Minecraft server

大约四年前，我创建了一个Minecraft服务器，

for children with autism and their families,

专为自闭症儿童及其家人提供帮助，

and I called it "Autcraft."

因此，我称之为“自闭创世神“ （Autcraft。）

And since then, we've been in the news all around the world,

自此，我们的事迹见诸于出现在了世界各地的新闻报道、

on television and radio and magazines.

电视、广播以及杂志上。

Buzzfeed（美国新闻网站）称我们创建的平台 是“互联网上的乐土”之一。

Buzzfeed called us "one of the best places on the internet."

We're also the subject of an award-winning research paper called

有一篇屡获殊荣的研究论文 就是以我们为主题，叫

"Appropriating Minecraft as an Assistive Technology for Youth with Autism."

《“我的世界”--电脑辅助技术帮助自闭症儿童》。

It's a bit of a mouthful.

这标题听起来有点绕口，

But you get the idea, I think.

但我想你们能猜到这篇论文的大意了。

So I want to talk a little bit about that research paper

所以，我想谈谈这篇论文，

and what it's about,

以及论文中探讨的问题，

but first I have to give you a little bit of history

但在此之前，我先来讲些背景信息，

on how the server came to be.

关于Atucraft这个服务器是如何建立的。

Back in 2013, everybody was playing Minecraft,

2013年的时候， “我的世界”风靡网络,

kids and adults alike,

无论儿童还是成人，

with and without autism, of course.

当然也不管有没有自闭症， 大家都在玩。

But it was the big thing.

不过，自闭症是一件需要重视的事。

But I saw parents on social media reaching out to other parents,

然而我在社交平台上看见 一些自闭症儿童的父母联系有类似遭遇的父母，

asking if their autistic children could play together.

询问是否他们的孩子可以在一起玩，

And the reason is that when they tried to play on public servers,

因为当他们的孩子在公共服务器上玩游戏时，

they kept running into bullies and trolls.

他们总会遇到欺凌者和恶意的人。

When you have autism, you behave a little differently sometimes,

因为如果你患有自闭症的话， 有的时候你的行为会有一点点反常，

sometimes a lot differently.

有的时候则完全异于其他人。

And we all know a little bit of difference is all you really need

总所周知，对于一个霸凌者来说，

for a bully to make you their next target.

仅仅一点点不同就足够 使你成为他的下一个欺凌对象了。

So these terrible, terrible people online,

因此，网上的那些心怀恶意的人，

they would destroy everything that they tried to make,

会在游戏中蓄意破坏 这些自闭症儿童努力搭建的东西，

they would steal all their stuff,

偷窃他们的道具，

and they would kill them over and over again,

甚至一遍一遍地 攻击杀害他们游戏中的形象，

making the game virtually unplayable.

让这些自闭症患者 无法继续玩下去。

But the worst part, the part that really hurt the most,

但最糟糕，最伤人的是

was what these bullies would say to these kids.

这些网络上的霸凌者 会告诉这些自闭症儿童，

They'd call them rejects

他们是被抛弃的、

and defects

有缺陷的、

and retards.

或是弱智的人。

And they would tell these kids, some as young as six years old,

这些人甚至对那些年仅六岁的孩子说，

that society doesn't want them,

这个社会厌恶他们，

and their own parents never wanted a broken child,

他们的父母永远不会爱一个残缺的孩子，

so they should just kill themselves.

因此他们应该自我了断生命。

And of course, these kids, you understand,

而你知道的，这些自闭症儿童

they would sign off from these servers angry and hurt.

会十分生气、伤心地退出服务器。

They would break their keyboards, they'd quite literally hate themselves,

他们会砸坏键盘，甚至直接说厌恶自己，

and their parents felt powerless to do anything.

而他们的父母则感到无能为力。

So I decided I had to try and help.

于是，我决定试着帮助这些孩子和家庭。

I have autism,

我也有过自闭症，

my oldest son has autism,

我的长子也患有自闭症，

and both my kids and I love Minecraft,

而我的孩子和我都 非常喜欢玩“我的世界”这个游戏。

so I have to do something.

所以，我得做点什么来改变这一状况。

So I got myself a Minecraft server,

于是，我自己建立了一个“我的世界”服务器，

and I spent some time, built a little village with some roads

然后我花了点时间， 建了一个有道路穿过的小村庄，

and a big welcome sign and this guy and a lodge up on a mountaintop,

一个巨大的欢迎标志和山顶上的城堡，

and tried to make it inviting.

我试图使它变得吸引人。

The idea was pretty simple.

我的想法非常简单。

I had a white list, so only people that I approved could join,

我有一个白名单，只有得到我的允许， 玩家才能加入，

and I would just monitor the server as much as I could,

因此我尽可能地监督服务器的运营使用，

just to make sure that nothing went wrong.

以确保没有恶性事件发生。

And that was it, that was the whole promise: to keep the kids safe

这就是我的初衷，也是我的承诺： 确保孩子的安全，

so they could play.

于是他们就可以尽情享受游戏的欢乐了。

When it was done, I went to Facebook

当我建成这个服务器时，

and posted a pretty simple message to my friends list, not publicly.

我在Facebook上面向好友发了一条信息， 并没有所有人公开。

I wanted to see if there was any interest in this,

因为我想试运营一下， 看看大家对它有没有兴趣，

and if it really could help.

以及到底有没有用。

Turns out that I greatly underestimated just how much this was needed,

结果我发现， 我彻底低估了大家对它的需要程度，

because within 48 hours, I got 750 emails.

因为仅在两天之内， 我就收到了750申请加入的邮件。

I don't have that many Facebook friends.

而我在Facebook上的好友都没有750个。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Within eight days, I had to upgrade the hosting package eight times,

八天之内，我就升级了主机程序包八次，

from the bottom package to the most expensive package they had,

从最普通的主机包升级成最昂贵的那种，

and now, almost four years later,

而如今，差不多四年后，

I have 8,000 names on the white list from all around the world.

我的白名单上有8000名来自世界各地的用户。

But the reason I'm up here today to talk to you

但是，我今天站在这里演讲的目的

isn't just because I gave kids a safe place to play.

并不是告诉大家 我给孩子提供了一个安全的游戏环境。

It's what happened while they played.

我想谈的是一件 发生在他们游戏过程中的事。

I started hearing from parents

我开始倾听家长们的意见，

who said their children were learning to read and write

他们说自己的孩子在服务器上

by playing on the server.

学习读写。

At first they spelled things by sound, like most kids do,

起初，这些孩子 只是像大多数孩子一样按发音拼单词，

but because they were part of a community,

但由于他们身处Autcraft社区之中，

they saw other people spelling the same words properly

当他们看到其他人能准确地拼出一样的单词，

and just picked it up.

自己也就学会了。

I started hearing from parents who said that their nonverbal children

家长们还告诉我 他们沉默寡言的孩子

were starting to speak.

开始讲话了。

They only talked about Minecraft, but they were talking.

虽然他们只聊“我的世界”，但这也是讲话啊。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Some kids made friends at school for the first time ever.

有些孩子第一次在学校交到了朋友。

Some started to share, even give things to other people.

有些则开始与他人分享， 甚至送给其他人东西。

这真的很棒。

It was amazing.

And every single parent came to me and said it was because of Autcraft,

每一位单亲家庭的父母都告诉我说， 这都是Autcraft的功劳，

because of what you're doing.

多亏了我所做的一切。

But why, though?

不过，为什么会促成这种改变呢？

How could all of this be just from a video game server?

为什么一个视频游戏服务器 能带来如此巨大的改变？

Well, it goes back to that research paper I was talking about.

这个问题得回到我刚刚提过的那篇论文。

In it, she covers some of the guidelines I used when I created the server,

在这篇论文中，作者谈到了 我在创建这个服务器时所参考的一些理念，

guidelines that I think help encourage people to be their very best.

在我看来， 这些理念可以帮助用户成为最好的自己。

I hope.

我希望能如此。

For example, communication.

拿交流举个例子。

It can be tough for kids with autism.

对于自闭症儿童来说，交流是很困难的。

It could be tough for grown-ups without autism.

对于患有自闭症的成年人而言也不例外。

But I think that kids should not be punished,

但我认为，这些孩子不该 因此被处罚，

they should be talked to.

我们应该坚持努力与他们对话。

Nine times out of ten, when the kids on the server act out,

每次孩子们在服务器上吵架了，

it's because of something that's happened in the day at school or home.

十有八九都是因为 一些在家或学校发生的事。

Maybe a pet died.

比如有一只宠物死了。

或者有时候只是因为 两个孩子之间的相互误解。

Sometimes it's just a miscommunication between two kids.

One doesn't say what they're about to do.

其中一个孩子不知道要怎么处理，

And so we just offer to help.

这时我们就会伸出援手。

We always tell the children on the server that we're not mad,

我们总是对服务器上的孩子们说， 我们没有生气，

and they're not in trouble;

他们也不会有麻烦。

we only want to help.

我们只是想帮帮他们。

And it shows that not only do we care,

这体现了我们不仅关心他们，

but we respect them enough to listen to their point of view.

而且我们尊重他们， 愿意倾听他们的想法。

Respect goes a long way.

尊重对他们十分有益。

Plus, it shows them that they have everything they need

此外，尊重还传递给他们一个信念：

他们未来会完全具备独立处理这些问题的能力，

to be able to resolve these problems on their own in the future

and maybe even avoid them, because, you know, communication.

甚至会通过沟通完全避免这些问题。

On most servers, as video games are,

在大多数游戏服务器上，

children are rewarded, well, players are rewarded,

孩子们及其他玩家获得多少奖励

for how well they do in a competition, right?

都是看他们在竞赛中表现如何，对吧？

The better you do, the better reward you get.

你在游戏中表现得越好，奖励越丰厚。

That can be automated; the server does the work, the code is there.

这种奖励模式是自动的，是通过程序设置的。

On Autcraft, we don't do that.

但在Autcraft上，我们不是这样做的。

We have things like "Player of the Week" and "CBAs,"

我们设置了“每周玩家之星”和“CBAs”，

which is "Caught Being Awesome."

"CBAs"就是“表现杰出玩家”的缩写。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We award players ranks on the servers based on the attributes they exhibit,

我们的积分奖励是基于玩家展现的品质的，

such as the "Buddy" rank for people who are friendly towards others,

例如对他人友善的玩家会达到“好帮手”等级，

and "Junior Helper" for people that are helpful towards others.

乐于助人的玩家则是“少年小帮手”，

We have "Senior Helper" for the adults.

而成年玩家则可以得到“高级助手”的称号。

But they're obvious, right?

不过，这些都很明显。

Like, people know what to expect and how to earn these things

例如，人们通过他们的称号，

就能知道自己能获得什么，以及如何获得。

because of how they're named.

As soon as somebody signs onto the server,

只要玩家在服务器上注册，

they know that they're going to be rewarded for who they are

他们就知道自己的积分奖励 是根据他们的人格确定的，

and not what they can do.

而不是他们的水平。

Our top award, the AutismFather Sword,

游戏中的最高级别的奖励是“自闭症之父的宝剑”，

which is named after me because I'm the founder,

这是根据我来命名的， 因为我是服务器的创始人。

is a very powerful sword that you can't get in the game any other way

这把剑拥有非凡的能力，

除非你全身心地为Autcraft整个团体奉献， ，否则不可能得到这个奖励。

than to show that you completely put the community above yourself,

and that compassion and kindness is at the core of who you are.

而这种奉献的热情和善良 是你人格中最重要的特质。

We've given away quite a few of those swords, actually.

事实上，已经有很多玩家获得宝剑奖励了。

I figure, if we're watching the server to make sure nothing bad happens,

我认为，如果我们对服务器进行监督， 确保没有恶性事件发生，

we should also watch for the good things that happen and reward people for them.

那我们也不能对那些正能量视而不见， 我们也得予以奖励。

We're always trying to show all the players

我们一直努力，

that everybody is considered to be equal, even me.

确保每一位玩家，甚至我， 都处于平等地位。

But we know we can't treat people equally to do that.

但我们知道， 不同孩子得用不同的方式对待。

Some of the players get angry very easily.

有些玩家很容易变得暴躁生气。

Some of them have additional struggles on top of autism,

有些除了自闭症以外， 还在与其他一些疾病作斗争，

such as OCD or Tourette's.

例如强迫症或图雷特综合症等。

So, I have this knack of remembering all of the players.

因此，我有一个特殊的本领， 就是能记住所有玩家。

I remember their first day, the conversations we've had,

我记得第一天和他们的谈话，

things we've talked about, things they've built.

记得谈话的内容，记得他们搭建的东西。

So when somebody comes to me with a problem,

所以，每当他们有遇到困难向我求助时，

I handle that situation differently than I would with any other player,

我会回答得更加个性化，

根据我对他们的了解。

based on what I know about them.

For the other admins and helpers, we document everything

对于其他管理员和助手来说， 我们会记录下每一个细节，

so that, whether it's good or bad or a concerning conversation,

因而无论对话的内容是积极的、消极的 还是令人担忧的，

it's there, so everybody is aware.

都会被记录下来，因此我们都会知情。

I want to give you one example of this one player.

我想谈谈一位这样的玩家的案例。

He was with us for a little while,

他加入Autcraft才不久，

but at some point he started spamming dashes in the chat,

但有时在聊天过程中， 他会突然发一连串的破折号，

like a big long line of dashes all the way across the screen.

就像屏幕上出现了一长串的破折号。

A little while later, he'd do it again.

过了一会儿，他又会这样做。

The other players asked him not to do that, and he'd say, "OK."

其他玩家让他不要这样做， 他说“好的”。

And then he'd do it again.

可是过会儿，他又这样做了。

It started to frustrate the other players.

这让其他玩家觉得很烦。

They asked me to mute him or to punish him for breaking the rules,

他们让我给他设置禁言模式， 或者因为他违反规则惩罚他，

but I knew there had to be something more to it.

但我知道，他行为背后一定有特殊的原因。

So I went to his aunt, who is the contact that I have for him.

因此，我向他的阿姨寻求帮助， 她是这位孩子的联系人，

She explained that he had gone blind in one eye

他阿姨解释道， 这位孩子有一只眼睛失明，

and was losing his vision in the other.

而另外一只眼睛的视力也在不断衰退，

So what he was doing was splitting up the chat

他之所以这样做是为了

把聊天文本划分成一块一块的， 这样看起来更轻松，

into easier-to-see blocks of text,

which is pretty smart.

这种做法非常机智。

So that very same night, I talked to a friend of mine who writes code

因此当天晚上， 我和一位写代码的朋友讨论了这个问题，

and we created a brand-new plug-in for the server

我们给服务器开发了 一种全新的插件，

that makes it so that any player on the server,

这种插件能使每一位用户，

including him, of course,

当然也包括那位孩子，

could just enter a command and instantly have every single line

只需按一下command键，

separated by dashes.

每一行就会立刻被破折号分开。

Plus, they can make it asterisks or blank lines

此外，他们也可以设置成星号、空行，

or anything they want -- whatever works best for them.

或者其他任何他们想要的分行方式， 只要是他们喜欢的都可以。

We even went a little bit extra and made it so it highlights your name,

我们甚至还做了一点小修改， 突出显示聊天中提到的人名，

so that it's easier to see if somebody mentions you.

这样如果有人提到你， 就能一眼看见。

It's just one example of how doing a little bit extra,

这仅仅是其中的一个例子，

从此可见，一点点小改进，

a small modification,

still helps everybody be on equal footing,

就能帮助每个人处于平等地位，

即使你只为某一个人 做了一点点。

even though you did a little extra just for that one player.

The big one is to be not afraid.

更重要的一点在于是，让孩子不要感到恐惧。

The children on my server are not afraid.

在我建立的服务器上玩的孩子们

They are free to just be themselves,

他们可以自由地畅享自我，

and it's because we support and encourage and celebrate each other.

因为我们相互支持、鼓励， 祝贺彼此取得的每一点进步。

We all know what it feels like to be the outcast

我们都知道被抛弃是什么感觉，

and to be hated simply for existing,

仅仅因为存在就被人厌恶是什么感觉，

and so when we're together on the server, we're not afraid anymore.

所以，当我们相聚在服务器上时， 我们无所畏惧。

For the first two years or so on the server,

大概在服务器建成的头两年中，

I talked to two children per week on average that were suicidal.

我平均每周都和 两个有自杀倾向的孩子谈心。

But they came to me because I'm the one that made them feel safe.

不过，他们对我敞开心扉仅是因为 我让觉得他们有安全感。

They felt like I was the only person in the world they could talk to.

他们觉得我是世界上唯一可以谈心的人。

So I guess my message is:

因此，我猜想我的经验是：

whether you have a charity or some other organization,

无论你管理的是一个慈善组织， 还是其他什么组织，

or you're a teacher or a therapist

无论你是一名老师，治疗医师，

or you're a parent who is just doing your very best,

还是一名含辛茹苦的家长，

or you're an autistic, like I am,

还是像我一样是一名自闭症患者，

no matter who you are,

不论你是谁，

you absolutely must help these children strip away those fears

你都必须要帮助这些孩子远离恐惧，

before you do anything else,

这是其他一切行动的前提，

because anything else is going to feel forced

因为除非他们有安全感，不再害怕，

unless they're not afraid.

否则对他们来说， 其他任何事都有一种强迫感。

It's why positive reinforcement will always do better

这就是为什么积极强化

总是比其他任何惩罚都要好。

than any form of punishment.

They want to learn when they feel safe and happy.

当他们有安全感，觉得心情愉悦， 他们就愿意学习。

It just happens naturally; they don't even try to learn.

这是自然而然的， 他们都不需要努力尝试。

These are words from the kids on the server to describe the server.

在Autcraft上的孩子 是用这些词来描述这个服务器的

The one thing I would hope that you could take away

我希望你们能从演讲中明白，

is that no matter what somebody else is going through in life right now,

无论其他人在生活中经历着什么，

whether they're being bullied at school or at home,

无论他们是在学或在家被欺负，

if they're questioning their sexuality or even their gender,

无论是被质疑性取向、甚至是性别，

which happens a lot in the autism community,

这些在自闭症患者中时常发生，

if they're feeling alone or even suicidal,

也无论他们是觉得孤单还是想自杀，

you have to live your life in such a way

你得在生活中帮助他们，

that that person feels like they can come to and tell you.

让他们觉得你值得信任， 愿意对你敞开心扉。

在与你谈这些话题的时候， 得确保他们有十足的安全感。

They have to feel perfectly safe in talking to you about it.

If you want to see a group of autistic children --

如果你想结识一群患有自闭症的孩子，

kids who society wrongly thinks are supposed to be antisocial

他们有时会表现出反社会的举动，

and lacking in empathy --

缺乏共情心，

if you want to see them come together and build the most compassionate

如果你愿意见证他们共同建设一个

and friendly and generous community you've ever seen,

你所见过的最热情、友好、慷慨的社区，

the kind of place that people would write about

让它成为网络上

as one of the best places on the internet,

人人眼中的那片净土，

they'll do that.

他们正在朝着这个方向努力，

I've seen it.

我见证着，

I'm there every day.

我每天都身处这片净土。

But they have some huge obstacles that they have to overcome to do that,

但他们仍有一些阻碍需要克服，

and it would be really helpful to have somebody there

如果有人愿意伸出援手，

who could help to show them that the only thing they really have to fear

如果有人能帮助他们认识到， 他们唯一需要畏惧的东西就是

is self-doubt.

自我怀疑。

So I guess I'm asking you to please be that person for them,

那么，我恳求你们成为这样的人， 去帮助他们，

because to them,

因为对他们而言，

those kids --

这些患有自闭症的孩子，

it means everything.

意味着一切。

Thank you very much.

感谢你们的聆听。

(Applause)

（掌声）