The International Association of Multi-Modal People (“IAMMP”)

Background on Multi-Modality/ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a term given to a set of behaviour traits that tend to occur together, and thus seem to share a common cause or common causes.

In those parts of the general public in Western Civilization that is actually aware of the existence of these traits, the negative aspects of this set of behavioural traits is put to the foreground.

This is why they term it a “Disorder”. It is a deviation from the norm, which is being defined by the estimated 94-97% of the population that do not exhibit this trait.

Note that some of these traits might be more pronounced than others. Note furthermore that if these traits occurs only from time to time, it is not ADHD/Multi-modality.

There is meanwhile strong evidence that these traits are inherited. A popular theory (“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_vs._farmer_theory”) states that this set of traits, which statistically occur very often together, might have given an evolutionary advantage to the bearer in more primitive societies, the hunter/gatherer societies, where these traits indeed could be very advantageous.

These societies had to survive in unknown and hostile environments, surrounded by enemies and animals of prey. In order to survive, they had furthermore to hunt successfully, and thus to overcome the cunning of the animals they were hunting.

Let us state again that this is, at the moment, still a theory.

Positive Exhibits of the Traits

Whether inherited or not, the modern multi-modal person exhibits usually the following traits:

• a massive propensity to generate new ideas,

• an unsatiable thirst for new knowledge,

• an unsatiable drive to be creative, invent new things, new methods, new approaches

• an uncanny ability to integrate oneself into new environments quickly, also social environments,

• a natural ability to communicate quickly with new people,

• the ability to relate quickly several at first glance unrelated facts,

• quite often a great party animal.

Negative Exhibits of the Traits

We are using here the negative terminologies, since a set of positive classifications has not been found yet.

Note that, where an alleviation of the negativity of these traits is required, quite a few measures are proven and available. Note that we can't state which ones of these (Such as medication) also have a negative impact on the positive aspects of Multi-modality.

The components can be grouped along three axes:

● Attention Deficit:

• unability to concentrate on a task,very easily diverted

Multi-modal people, always on the look-out for hard-to-discern novel facts, do usually not focus on the same task for a long time. In fact, quite often, they are unable to do so for more than a few minutes.

• does not listen attentively

For the same reason as above, multi-modal people do simply not listen carefully. They are easily diverted by other information coming in by other communication channels, or form new associations on the fly based on the information just heard, but thus not following on on subsequent information given by the speaker.

• shifts subjects in the middle of a meeting or conversation

This traits is also related to the impulsiveness characteristic, see below. The ability to form new associations on the fly also acts during meetings and conversations, great in case of brainstorm sessions, less efficient in other contexts.

● Hyperactivity:

• cannot stay still for long, needs to move

Again, a trait that can would make sense in a hunter/gatherer context: It makes little sense to sit still for a long time, more important to discover new means to feed the tribe.

● Impulsiveness:

• interrupts others continuously, communicates impulsively, urge to talk pents up This trait is rather pronounced. The person exhibiting usually experiences an innate persuasion that he or she already knows what the other person is going to say, and is thus loth to waste time by waiting for that person to say it.

• little or no natural shyness This trait has positive and negative impact. In a social and cultural context where there is an expectation on the part of the non-multi-modal person that a relationship should grow slowly and mature, the driving urge of the multi-modal person to interact in a rather intimate fashion right from the start is difficult to swallow, if at all possible. On the other hands, for extroverted societies, more likely to be found in sunnier venues, that poses no problem at all.

Background on the term “Multi-Modal”

We do think that the “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” for our shared behavioural trait is a discriminatory term coined for a minority by a powerful majority.

We do thus suggest the term “Multi-Modal” for that trait:

a) It expresses the fact that we Multi-modals can switch trains of thought extremely quickly, even in a conversation or classroom, at a speed that others cannot follow and have problems with.

b) It expresses the fact that we can thus form associations and ideas with a frequency and intensity that others cannot

c) It expresses the fact that we can function in multiple environments with equal ease, requiring minimum effort and time to adapt to new “modes”, so to speak.

All of this in contrast to “Mono-Modal” people, who may be more efficient at following diligently processes for months or years, without being bored to death, but which do not exhibit the exciting (Literally!) capabilities which are such a fundamental part of us.

Current interaction with the mono-modal majority

Current attempts do at best strive to force us into the mold of the majority, by drugs, by Neurofeedback, by behavioural training, etc. While this is certainly necessary and useful to the extent that this allows us to interact efficiently with the rest of the population, adapt to their methods of teaching, which are not geared at all towards us,

Penetration of ADHD worldwide

• Seemingly about 3-6% of average adult population has it

• Concentration in specific areas very likely:

• where trait is either an advantage, and/or

• less of a disadvantage

How could IAMMP help concretely?

● Make those that have ADHD be aware of it

● Give them the choice to “come out” or not

● If they come out, give them options, how fully does it have

to be, should it be? Communications issue

● Increase general awareness within organizations where they work as well as

potentially immediate context of person

● Identify degree of ADHD along the 3 axes

● Mitigate drawbacks (Stimulus-poor environment, coaching

of human context, etc.)

● Leverage very distinctive skillset that ADHD people have

● Involve medical and other professionals

A few Remarks on the unsuitability of the mono-modal world for multi-modal people

A few facts about mono-modal focused Teaching: This teaching is not for scientific curiosity and innovation, but absorption of static facts, training of the evaluation to reproduce and apply passively learned fact

School context is usually customized for mono-modal people, who have no problem to ruminate for hours.

Work life:

Large corporations with box thinking, not allowed or wanted to have people that want to shift, that ask question, that look beyond the border of the allowed territory, etc.

Any deviation from the norm is usually associated with a negative connotation. The effect is the more pronounced here, since multi-modal people do not fit into the communication and education pattern of mono-modals. Small wonder that they are perceived as negative and their condition as a “disorder”.

A world made by and for multi-modal people would look rather differently, and mono-modals would definitely feel out of place there and be perceived as having a disorder. Such a disorder could be termed Innovation-Deficient-Mono-Focal Disorder (“IDMFD”) or HyperPhlegmaticHyperFocus Disorder (“HPHFD”).

Contact:

All correspondence please to Tongar at the internet mail domain gmx.net, thx.