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Introduction Hello everyone and welcome to my March edition of “Just Jordan”. by Jordan Fernando Again am elated with the response about my “JUST Jordan” group and newsletter, so thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I’ve continued with a similar layout however this month I would like to dedicate my Newsletter to my late and very great Nana Iris Fernando, who sadly passed away recently at the grand old age of 94. The main cover photo is my Nana and I having a good old giggle about something, and that’s just the way I want to remember her. As always please do keep your feedback and messages coming, it’s a pleasure hearing from each and everyone of you!
I hope that you will tell all your friends & family about “JUST Jordan”. You will find information on my “JUST Jordan” Facebook/Twitter page and how to contact me details are also enclosed. As always I look forward to your feedback, submissions and questions for my April edition. RIP Great Nana love and miss you.
Jordan Fernando xx
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Art Corner
Good Night Great Nana
“ “JUST Jordan” Special Poem
Review Time
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GOODNIGHT NANA
I wanted to pay a special tribute to my wonderful Great Nana who recently passed away at the ripe old age of 94. She was a tremendously brave and resilient woman, a wonderful Mother, much loved Sister, Nana, Aunty, Great Nana and friend to many, Iris Dorothy Fernando. I was your first Great Grandchild. We will miss you dearly. Here are some of my favourite photos of you.
In Loving Memory Of my wee Great Nana xxxx
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Kids Zone by Jordan Fernando
More in the Kids Zone next month!
Please do feel free to comment on my JUST Jordan Facebook page or twitter account. https://www.facebook.com/groups/213071952427706/ @JustJordan2016
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Our JUST Jordan poem submitted by me in memory of my late Great Nana x
My Love For Great Nana This is for Great Nana The only way I can say A proper farewell In the most special way When I think of you A few words come to mind Those words happen to be Tranquil, Gentle and Kind Going to visit you Puts my mind in peace As when you were by my side You bothered me the least Now I know you're gone So I shan't live in strife As out of many Fernando's You've kind of lived the longest life So I just want to say goodbye for now Nana You're gone but not forgotten And I can assure you Your memory will not be downtrodden Farewell Great Nana xxxx
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Epilepsy & Autism
I grew up with my diagnosis of Autism but had never had any seizures until now! As most of you know I'm 19 and turn 20 in April, but my seizures didn't start until late last year. I wasn't even aware I was having them until I had a sleepover with my friend and she saw it, poor thing got such a fright but I was oblivious. My friends mean the world to me and I love them very much but I don’t want to scare or worry them again like that. Since then my Mum has monitored them until I finally got a diagnosis of Epilepsy in February this year. I must admit it came as quite a shock and has taken a while for it to sink in as I sometimes still can't believe I have it, especially as I have no recollection of them. I have seen a couple of videos of them mind you, which my Mum kindly recorded during one of my seizures, and as much as it's strange watching yourself having the seizure it kind of helps me accept and come to terms with it all. I had no idea epilepsy was so common in people with Autism until recently and found the statistics rather staggering. I read that between 20% and 40% of people with epilepsy also have Autism and this rate actually increases steadily with age.
I would image having both conditions would have a major impact on a childs life and am kind of glad I was diagnosed later in my teens as I feel am better able to cope, I've no idea how I'd have managed as a wee girl. Amongst other things, a childs memory and language skills may be impaired and this in turn may lead to difficulties in learning and education. Research has also shown that people with Autism can have different types of seizure. Epilepsy seizures can sometimes be missed however, because of communication difficulties related to the childs autism. My seizures only occur at night and whilst sleeping.
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It isn’t known whether autism or epilepsy is the primary or secondary condition but in both conditions the temporal lobe part of the brain may not be functioning in the expected way. It can be overwhelming if you care for a child or young person that has autism and epilepsy. I now know from experience that with the correct support we can achieve great things regardless of our diagnosis. If you've been diagnosed with epilepsy and your on the spectrum please don't panic as it is easily managed with the right medication. Any concerns at all please seek medical advice from your GP and remember there are helplines to call for support and information to (links available below). freephone 0808 800 5050 for epilepsy advice and information.
If like myself however you've just learnt to drive then you will have to give that up for a good year ensuring your seizure free before taking to the wheel again. I'll be honest I was a bit upset initially as I've only just passed my test and was thoroughly enjoying driving but, for peace of mind, health and safety I know its for the best. So far so good with the medication as my seizures are getting fewer and I'll be gradually increasing my dose and hopefully my seizures will stop for good. I will have to take the medication for the rest of my life but if it keeps me seizure free and able to drive again then it'll be worth it.
If you'd like to find out more about Epilepsy & Autism just follow these links: https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/treatment/treatment-associated-medical-conditions/epilepsy http://www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/related-conditions.aspx https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/
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Review Time Look out for special reviews next month right here in “JUST Jordan”.
By Autist Aidan MacDonald By the time people are reading this, almost everyone who’s a Zelda fan will be gearing up for the long-awaited release of ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’. But before everyone starts running around as a shirtless Link torching all of Hyrule to cinders on the go thanks to the portability of the Nintendo Switch, it’s also good to take one last look at the Wii U’s remasters of two certain Zelda classics originally released for the Nintendo GameCube, in particular, ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’. The thing with Zelda games is that the first Zelda you ever truly get stuck into tends to be the Zelda game that holds a permanent special place in your heart. For those who grew up with the N64, this will most likely be ‘Ocarina of Time’, for those older, it may be the original NES game or the SNES hit ‘A Link to the Past’, or for those whose gaming childhoods were spent on the go, it could vary between the Oracle series for the Game Boy Color, ‘Link’s Awakening’, or ‘Minish Cap’ for the GBA. As for me, ‘Twilight Princess’ was the first Zelda game I ever owned and played right through to the end, so naturally, I cried tears of joy the second I heard it was making a comeback for the Wii U’s twilight years (pun intended). For those not familiar with the original game, the basic story has Link as a ranch hand who sets off to rescue his friends when they’re kidnapped by a group of monstrous bandits. Along the way, he finds himself in a Hyrule
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cursed by magic from another realm, and ends up transformed into a wolf at certain points throughout the game. Eventually, he ventures through all manner of challenges both new and familiar to Zelda lore, saving Hyrule and safely returning his friends home. And in case anyone didn’t realise it until now, yes, the hero’s name is Link. There is a princess called Zelda in the game (a rare example of an entire franchise being named after the resident damsel-in-distress, take notes, Peach!), but her involvement in the story is limited in comparison to other entries in the series. No, she doesn’t transform into a ninja this time. ‘Twilight Princess HD’ is played with either the GamePad or a Pro Controller. For GameCube players of the original, this should take almost no time getting used to. For Wii players, well, sorry Aaron, but being used to the Wii remote won’t save you here. Link can roll with the A or ZR buttons, with B being used to slash with Link’s sword, L being used to call for advice from his companion Midna, and X/Y/R being used for various swappable items. At certain points in the game, Link can also summon his horse, Epona, to allow for faster travel. She can speed up, but Link can only prompt her to so many times, and it’ll take a few seconds to wait before she can speed up again, I’d personally recommend not exhausting all prompts, so as to recharge faster. The right analogue stick is used for camera controls (clicking it will change Link’s view to first-person), and in case you’ve never played ‘Super Mario 64’, the left analogue stick is used to move around. Bearing in mind though, Link can’t jump conventionally in this game, only when running off ledges. All of the original music is preserved in the remake, with one unused track in the original game being used in both the announcement trailer and the credits. Fans of the original will be pleased to hear that this includes even the catchy Malo Mart song, so feel free to drop the controller when you arrive in Castle Town after clearing a few donation sidequests and dance! But of course, what’s a remake without changes to improve on the original game? To break it down: In the original game, Link’s maximum rupee limit was 1000 rupees. For those who prefer using the Magic Armour, this may cause some problems in the GC/Wii version as wearing it causes Link’s rupee count to deplete quite quickly. In the Wii U version, Link can now hold 9999 rupees, nearly double the max amount in ‘Wind Waker HD’! Hero Mode, a feature introduced in ‘Skyward Sword’ for the Wii, is included in the game. Choosing to play the game mode flips the game world left-to-right (don’t worry, Link still controls the same, this isn’t ‘Mario Kart’!), essentially having you play the Wii version of the game (which originally had the game world flipped due to Link’s hand orientation changed to better accommodate Wii players who may prefer to play right-handed) In the original, certain moments in the first half of the game required Link to collect a set of 16 “Tears of Light” to restore his current region of Hyrule to its original state. That number is now 12. Poes are part of a major sidequest for Link in the original game, but finding them was always challenging. The remake now has Link obtain an item partway through the story to make finding Poes a little easier. Tracking your progress for Poe-collecting is also much easier this time! The introductory sequence of ‘Twilight Princess’ is notably infamous among Zelda fans for being a little longer than most introductions for Zelda games. Now, it’s a little shorter, allowing you to get into the nitty-gritty quicker. Along with these updates to the game’s mechanics, ‘Twilight Princess HD’ also benefits from a few of the Wii U’s unique features. These include posting screenshots of the game as well as little messages and such to Miiverse, the Wii U’s very own social networking platform, using the Wii U GamePad to not only swap items to buttons faster but also allowing Link to quickly change between wolf and human (Hylian) form a lot faster than usual, and the Wii U’s amiibo functionality. Sadly, the Waluigi amiibo (among many others) doesn’t work in ‘TPHD’, but most Zelda amiibos have some sort of functionality with this game. Link amiibos (regardless of whether they’re “normal” Link or Toon Link) will fully-replenish your arrows, Zelda/Sheik
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amiibos fully replenish your hearts, and using a Ganondorf amiibo will double the damage you take. Feeling brave? Use the Ganon amiibo as you play through Hero Mode… …without picking up any Heart Containers or Heart Pieces! But of course, the big amiibo-related feature here is the Wolf Link amiibo that’s included with certain editions of the game. Using the Wolf Link amiibo won’t recharge your arrows, but will teleport you to an entirely new series of challenges called the Cave of Shadows. For those who’ve got far enough in the game to know, this works just like the Cave of Ordeals, but you’re stuck in Wolf Form, and are thus forced to use rush attacks and wolf bites as you fend of waves of enemies. The best part of this feature is that when you clear the Cave of Shadows, you can save your hearts to the Wolf Link amiibo so they can be used to heal you when you next challenge the dungeon. Or, as of next month, the Wolf Link amiibo can be used in ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ to bring Wolf Link into that game as a companion for Link, complete with however much hearts you had when you last cleared the Cave of Shadows in ‘Twilight Princess HD’. That said, it may feel like the whole amiibo fad is being overdone with this game, but to be able to transfer data between two different games is still fun, nonetheless. FINAL THOUGHTS: ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD’ may have seemed like a mere stopgap for the upcoming ‘Breath of the Wild’ back when it was released in March 2016, but with a wealth of new features and improvements, it certainly holds its own in the list of “Best Wii U games of all time”. Its only flaw may be the overusage of amiibo (to the point where it nearly rivals ‘Super Smash Bros. for Wii U’), but you only need the Wolf Link amiibo to fully-appreciate this remastered beauty, and even then, it’s perfectly enjoyable without needing to drop an extra tenner! (4.5/5)
Please do keep your requests coming in and I’ll do my best to feature them in next months edition of JUST Jordan. To submit your entries please send to : Jfernando_1997@hotmail.co.uk suzfernando@yahoo.co.uk
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Dear Jordan…… Ask me anything and I’ll be as frank with my views as Coleen is on Loose Women!! I can be your straightest-talking agony aunt, giving advice on relationships, bullying, early diagnosis and any life problems you may have…..xx
Huge thanks to everyone who submitted questions for “Dear Jordan”
“Dear Jordan: Are seizures associated with autism? One in four children with an Autism Spectrum Disorders will develop seizures. These may not necessarily begin in early childhood, but can start as late as adolescence. Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain and are a common comborbid disorder with autism and Asperger's syndrome. Hope this helps ! Love Jordan xxx
“Dear Jordan: Is autism a fatal disease?
Autism cannot and will not cause death, nor shorten ones life. However, Rett syndrome, a form of autism can shortens one's lifespan. However, it is not yet been studied. Hope this helps ! Love Jordan xxx
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“Dear Jordan: I’m an autistic adult living at home with my parents who are overbearing & controlling, I’ve tried telling them how able and independant I am but they won’t listen. I need advice on how best to approach the subject without it turning into world war 2.
Growing up and trying to be independent is never easy, especially if your parents feel that they need to protect you. It is important to understand what your parents are fearful of as this will help you to understand what support they feel you need, if any. If you still stay at home, you could start by showing them that you are independent in your own way by helping to complete tasks around the house, without any prompts from your parents. It may be helpful to have a visual weekly planner with tasks that you could complete daily that would show your parents that you can complete tasks independently. Start small, by changing your bed or ensuring that your room is tidy. You could also add things like doing the dishes (or loading the dishwasher), again without prompts. This will help your parents to see that you are able to complete tasks for yourself, but most importantly without prompts. You can find helpful planners here – Monday to Thursday planner – http://organizedhome.com/sites/default/files/image/pdf/calendar_planner_weekly_1.pdf Thursday to Sunday plannerhttp://organizedhome.com/sites/default/files/image/pdf/calendar_planner_weekly_2.pdf
If mum and dad are struggling to allow you to become independent, it is helpful to understand what they are afraid of. This is a difficult conversation to have so you may want someone who is independent to be involved in this conversation, often a professional that you have a good relationship, may be able to help you or an advocacy organisation. You can find access to local organisations on the link belowhttp://www.siaa.org.uk/find-advocate/
Becoming more independent is a process and your parents expectations are perhaps different to yours and it is helpful to understand what the barriers are for all of you. Perhaps a family member can help you to have this conversation with your parents? You can find more information on growing up and becoming and adult with autism on the National Autistic Society websitehttp://www.autism.org.uk/about/adult-life.aspx Hope this helps ! Love Jordan xxx
. POLL: What would you like to read about in “JUST Jordan”? Let us know by contacting us via email: jfernando_1997@hotmail.co.uk or suzfernando@yahoo.co.uk
HOW TO SUBMIT AN ARTICLE. If you would like to submit an article, picture, ask a question or offer support in next month’s newsletter please contact me via email: jfernando_1997@hotmail.co.uk or suzfernando@yahoo.co.uk
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What’s On in Ayrshire NAS OSS Autism Seminar - Common Toileting Difficulties Monkton Community Church, Main Street, Monkton Ka9 2rn Thursday, March 16 at 10 AM - 2:30 PM This FREE seminar will be delivered by a National Autistic Society (NAS) Family Support Worker and is for parents/carers with an autistic child age under 16yrs. It is held in a welcoming and comfortable setting, and hot beverages will be provided throughout the day. The seminar will be very informative and you will have opportunities throughout it to ask any questions you have about autism, aswell as receiving a full resource pack filled with useful information, advice and support guidelines. Families can book up to 2x places but places are LIMITED and booking is required. To reserve your places(s) please contact the One Stop Shop preferably by email. Tel: 01290 553431 Email: AyrshireOss@nas.org.uk Event page (Fb): https://www.facebook.com/events/1251328858282486
*IMPORTANT* Hi, if you are a parent/carer of someone with autism and you live in Ayrshire, please click on the link below and complete our poll. This should take only a moment of your time. Thankyou kindly, OSS Team Poll - Tesco 'Autism Friendly Hour' Trial: https://poll.fbapp.io/tesco-autism-friendly-hour
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*REMINDER* #LGBT Open Ayrshire Group Meetings This group is for young people age12-25yrs that identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and for those who just want to support them - young people are welcome to take a friend or family member along. The group is run by North Ayrshire Youth Service but group members can help to mould the group, its content and any issues its members may have but council staff will be attending the meet ups also to offer support on a variety of issues. The group meet up details are as follows: • 7 - 9pm Mondays in Irvine • 5 - 7pm Mondays in Kilbirnie • 6.45 - 8.45pm Tuesdays in Kilwinning For further information please contact the Youth Services' Donna Anderson. Tel: 01294 472251 Email: danderson@north-ayrshire.gov.uk North Ayrshire Youth Services (Fb): https://www.facebook.com/nayouthservices/
"JUST Jordan" Autism Coffee Morning Ardrossan Outdoor Bowling Club Sat 1'st April between 10am - 12 noon FREE Event. Including guest speakers, representatives from The National Autistic Society Scotland and not forgetting lashings of yummy cakes! Hope to see many of you again this year. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1286870861378618/
FAO East Ayrshire Residents and Workers If you have any concerns about your child's speech, language and/or communication, an experienced member of NHS Ayrshire & Arran 's Speech and Language Therapy Team (SALT) will be available to offer you advice and guidance, between 2 - 4pm EVERY Thursday!!! Please see our attached comments section for individual Ayrshire SALT service's contact information. Contact the helpline TODAY with your concerns. Tel: 07980 919654 NHS Ayrshire and Arran - SALT: http://www.nhsaaa.net/ahp/slt.aspx
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Positive Pathways Scotland Training Sessions in Ayrshire The National Autistic Society will be running their popular Autism Seminars again in March and April - details to follow, but here is an alternative for those of you who are not in-touch with our One Stop Shop. Here are FREE Positive Behaviour Support Training Sessions for Family Carers of Young People with Autism. These are Positive Pathways Scotland (PPS) Training sessions in Ayr, Irvine and Cumnock for parents/carers of young autists between the age 5-18yrs, with emotional and behavioural challenges. Please note that their website states the incorrect dates for the training sessions. Please see the attached poster for details and contact PPS to confirm the dates and other details. Please use the details below to contact Positive Pathways Scotland for further information. Tel: 01417 796365 Email: pps@trfs.org.uk Web: www.positivepathways.scot Positive Pathways Scotland (Fb): https://www.facebook.com/positivepathwaysscotland/
Copyright of Jordan Fernando Jfernando_1997@hotmail.co.uk suzfernando@yahoo.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/groups/213071952427706/ @JustJordan2016 https://issuu.com/justjordan19 Disclaimer: All articles and information in this newsletter are of the writers own personal experiences and opinions.
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