About Us
Touch the Spectrum is a really a family business, Mum, Dad, Tim, Bex, two dogs Archie and Charlie, plus one very naughty cat, Fudge.
Mum is Paula and she is the face of Touch the Spectrum. Richard is the money man and secretary. Tim and Bex are the advisors, supporters and the focus of many stories. The pets are pure entertainment and therapy. In 2013 Tim began to create a universe of superheroes, people in his life were given character names and profiles, many of them captured their personalities perfectly. We are Goldray, Goggleguy, The Hood and Boom. He named our family group The Soul Survivors and survive we did, whether that be mental health crisis, extreme parent blaming, tribunals, injury and illness.
Paula Holden (Paula Poppy) is a Specialist Teacher. She is adept at producing personalised packages of support, guidance, and training, based on The Low Arousal Approach, celebrating acceptance and teaching about wellbeing. Until 2021, when Paula suffered a stroke, she specialised in autism. Since then, she developed the company to also support people to move out of the survival mode, whatever the reason and into a life where they grow, develop and progress.
Before setting up Touch the Spectrum in 2015, Paula taught in a specialist school for eight years, before that Paula worked in mainstream education, in the church leading the Children’s and Families Work, as a Housemistress in a private school and for many years running clubs for children out of school. Paula’s motto is that education can be in many forms, in any situation, and at any age. She loves learning, gaining Masters’ level qualifications in Autism (children) and Early Years Education. Plus, gaining qualifications and skills in Adult Education, Mental Health, and Coaching to name a few.
Over the years, Paula has enjoyed working with children and young people, parents, whole families, support groups, schools, academy groups, local authorities, healthcare providers, charities, churches and volunteers. She has provided training, talks, consultations, assemblies, lessons and workshops.
Paula is a long-time warrior mum originally for her autistic adult children and now for better accessibility for all. She is a rose-tinted, sparkly, wannabe Disney Princess and a passionate believer in the power of positivity to change any situation. In Paula’s words “Nothing is impossible, if you change how you look at it”.