þÿ<html> <title>Asperger Women Association</title> <style type="text/css">{ } body { scrollbar-arrow-color: #FFFFC1; scrollbar-base-color: #54B7B7; scrollbar-face-color: #54B7B7; scrollbar-highlight-color: #FFFFC1; scrollbar-shadow-color: #1780AF; scrollbar-3dlight-color: #54B7B7; scrollbar-track-color: #54B7B7; scrollbar-darkshadow-color: #1780AF; } .head{ background: #176BA7; border-bottom:0px dashed #54B7B7; color:#FFFFC1; font-weight:none; font-size:12pt; font-family:century gothic; text-align:center; width:100%} A:link {color: #FFFFC1; text-decoration: none;} A:visited {color: #FFFFC1; text-decoration: none;} A:active {color: #FFFFC1; text-decoration: none;} a:hover {color: #1780AF; text-decoration: underline overline;} body {background-color: #176BA7; background-image: url(); background-attachment: scroll; background-repeat: yes; font-family: times; color: #FFFFC1; letter-spacing: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt;} h1 {font-family: Times; text-transform: none; font-size: 18px; font-style:italic; color: #FFFFC1; letter-spacing: 1px; font-weight: normal; border-bottom:1px solid #1780AF; text-align:left; line-height: 22px} </style> </head> <body> <img src="layout1.jpg" style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:0"> <div style="position:absolute; top: 55px; left: 104px;overflow: auto; width: 400px; height: 50px; "> <center> <b> &middot; <a href="index.html">Home</a> &middot; <a href="contact.html">Contact</a> &middot; <a href="info.html">Info</a> &middot; <a href="articles.html">Articles</a> &middot; <a href="directors.html">Board of Directors</a> &middot; <a href="fashion.html">Fashion</a> &middot; <a href="members.html">Members Directory</a> &middot; <a href="links.html">Links</a> &middot; <a href="children.html">Children's Page</a> &middot; <a href="http://s4.invisionfree.com/Apserger_Women/">Forum</a> &middot; </b> </center> </div> <div style="position:absolute; top: 107; left: 56;overflow: auto; width: 789; height: 430; "> <h1>Councillor Maxine Crawley</h1> <img src="maxine.jpg"align="right"> <b>Maxine Crawley is the mother of James Crawley who is an aspie child. COUNCILLOR MAXINE CRAWLEY (DEPUTY MAYOR OF THE CITY AND DISTRICT OF ST ALBANS (2008/2009</b> <br><br><br> Cllr Maxine Crawley, a district councillor for Redbourn since 2007, was officially made Deputy Mayor of the City and District of St Albans on 14 May 2008 at the annual council meeting.<br><br> Maxine Crawley was born in Enfield on 1st December 1964.  Her father was a doctor and her mother worked with nursing homes and hospices on a voluntary basis.  Maxine grew up in Barnet and passed the exam for Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls at nine, when the school moved from Acton to Elstree.  Her school years were very happy and she fondly remembers some inspiring teachers including ex St Albans District Mayor, Jenny Stroud! <br><br> After gaining an honours degree in psychology, Maxine completed a post graduate Private and Executive Secretary's Diploma.  She then travelled round the world stopping for several months in Australia, where she worked and made some lifelong friends at the local Roteract branch. On her return to England, Maxine worked as PA to Imran Khan, the cricketer, who was then Editor in Chief of a cricket magazine.  During the months he was away on cricket tours she learned all of the skills needed to write for and produce magazines, interviewing cricket buffs such as Peter O'Toole, Barry Norman and John Major. (<br><br> (Maxine then worked for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry where she produced their business magazine. Here she also met her future husband, Warwick Crawley.  Maxine had grown up enjoying special outings to St Albans and surrounding areas, so when the time came to choose a home, she and Warwick moved to Harpenden. They married in St Albans in May 1993 and their first child, Megan, was born in September 1994.  James followed in August 1997.  Both children attended Wood End School but Megan has now followed Maxine to Haberdashers' and James is in his last year at Redbourn Junior School to which he changed, following the family's move to Redbourn in 2004. (<br><br> (Maxine has always been interested in politics and, having worked for a local Redbourn business, was thrilled to be asked to stand for the Conservative Party at the elections. She was elected as a councillor for Redbourn in May 2007 and has thrown herself into the role, sitting on several committees including Planning and Parish Liaison and substituting on many more. She joined Redbourn Parish Council soon after she became a district councillor, and is thoroughly enjoying looking after the interests of the village and its residents. Maxine feels that the district's villages have a special atmosphere and is committed to retaining their qualities in a changing world. (<br><br> (Maxine enjoys travel, theatre, history and reading.  She is delighted to have been chosen to be Deputy Mayor and is looking forward to supporting the Mayor in his duties.  She feels very proud to be able to represent our district and looks forward to meeting many new people. <br><br> James is 11 years old and was diagnosed with Aspergers 2 years ago.  We had quite a struggle with how he was treated at school until then.  He even spent one school year separated from the other kids behind a screen and started to see himself as a 'bad' child.  As a result we took him out of that school and he spent the last 2 years at our village school where the teachers treated him, and us, with respect and understanding.  He has thrived there and is about to move to Secondary school where there will be new challenges - I will be writing about the transition later in the year!  James is an extraordinary child and my heart bursts with pride for him.  He has a gift for maths, languages and computers but he also has the kindest of hearts and has so bravely faced the school playground day after day even when he was bullied for being 'weird'.  Since I told him he has Aspergers last year I have watched him logically work out how he needs to change his outward self at school and he now has a super set of friends and even a best friend!  He is able to control his more unusual traits so the kids are not afraid of him anymore at school, but comes home and lets it all hang out here which we fully endorse.  James and I will be writing more each issue and we would welcome contact and stories as well as questions from anyone who reads our experiences. </div> </body> </html>