PASSIONATE 25-year-old, Jenna Owen is offering much-need support to families of children with neurodiversity and spectrum conditions.

Jenna, a Tavistock support worker that grew up in Kelly Bray, has set up The Spectra Project, a project that supports neurodiveristy and spectrum conditions after growing up with an autistic brother and being disappointed by the lack of support available to families and individuals.

Neurodiversity refers to ‘different cognition’ and includes differences such as Autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing, Irlen’s Syndrome, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder, Learning Difficulties, Dyslexia among others.

Jenna said: ‘My brother was diagnosed with Asperger’s at aged six and I saw my parents strugging to deal with that. He was always labelled as ‘a naughty kid’’.

‘My mum struggled with the lack of acceptance from her friends, mainly other parents. Although my brother wasn’t aware, my mum was and it really broke her heart that he was the one that was missed out on parties and things like that and people didn’t understand him. My mum didn’t know where to go for information. She didn’t know how to support him.’

Through her brother’s Asperger’s, Jenna has been inspired to learn more about spectrum conditions and has dedicated her life to a journey of discovery since she was aged 16 and first completed an A-level in autism provision.

Jenna has been on a nine-year journey, completing a degree in childhood studies along with various autism-related qualifications. Jenna’s passion has now developed into The Spectra Project which originally started as a Facebook group in March this year and has grown into a support network for Tamar Valley families where Jenna offers monthly discussion evenings and coffee mornings. The meetings are open to families and individuals who are neurodivergent themselves, know of or work with someone who is neurodivergent or for those wanting to learn more about neurodiversity.

‘When I came back from uni, I very quickly realised that this area still hadn’t really moved forward in terms of support it was offering children. And this was 20 years on from when my brother left school’, said Jenna.The meetings allow the gathering of like-minded people and offers a space where people can offload and support eachother.

Jenna, who believes she is actually on the spectrum herself, offers support for individuals and the meetings provide Jenna with the opportunity to get to know the community’s needs so she can shape the direction of where to take the project and what services the project can offer.

Jenna is currently in the process of applying for the project to become a Community Interest Company (CIC). Jenna hopes that by becoming a CIC this will provide funds and enable the project to have its own premises. The aim is to be able to offer sessions such as sensory sessions, expand to offer services including therapy/life coaching for adults and young people, 1:1 support workers and for the premises to act as a community hub where people can get advice, provide a safe place where people can visit if they are having a bad day, unload and have a chat with someone and ‘feel okay about it’. Jenna would also like to be able to install a small needs-friendly cafe and/or grocery store.

Alongside completing the process of becoming a CIC, Jenna is also working with Callington Primary School to offer a coffee morning for anyone supporting a child/children with neurodiversity (diagnosed or not).

Jenna said: ‘I need to see change in this world, if I can help my community I’m doing something.’