Shan, Paris, Chris, & LaShar: Superhero Storytellers (The CLW Book Club)
The members of the CLW Book Club are not content with simply reading stories. Instead, they are determined to write their own. APSI clients Shan, Paris, Chris, and LaShar are among the club members who recently worked together to write and publish What Made You Laugh?, an imaginative book filled with humor, friendship, and an unexpected superhero adventure.
Each member brings a distinct personality and perspective to the group. Shan is outgoing and creative, whether he is spending time outdoors, helping others at his day program, or making handmade cards for friends and staff. Paris is a talented writer who enjoys poetry, technology, and advocating for himself and others. LaShar is a funny, outgoing artist who enjoys telling stories about the people and family in her life, while Chris loves connecting with others and talking with them about his interests. Together, their different strengths helped shape a story that reflects the creativity of the entire group.
The idea for the book came directly from the members themselves. Rather than only choosing books to read together, they decided they wanted to create one as a team. Meeting weekly, the group guided the process from beginning to end, deciding what kind of story they wanted to tell, creating its characters, developing the plot, and contributing new ideas each week. Once the story was complete, CLW staff helped prepare the manuscript and submit it for publication.
The result was What Made You Laugh?, featuring a dog named Frodo, a joke-telling clown named Luke and, somewhat unexpectedly, the Silver Surfer. What begins with a broken window soon becomes a story filled with jokes, friendship, and the beginnings of a superhero adventure. At one point, Luke proudly declares, “I can make people laugh. That’s my superpower.” It is a fitting line for a book created by a group that understands that bringing joy to others is something worth celebrating.
While CLW facilitated the book club itself, APSI’s role has been to help ensure that the individuals it serves have opportunities to pursue the activities, relationships, and goals that matter to them. APSI representatives regularly attend annual planning meetings, visit clients at their day programs, and work with individuals, providers, and SSAs to make sure those programs continue to reflect each person’s interests and needs.
That ongoing advocacy can help create the foundation for opportunities like the book club. As Heather Collinsworth, who works regularly with the members at CLW, explained, APSI helps ensure that individuals’ “voices, preferences, and personal goals are recognized and supported.” By encouraging person-centered decision-making and informed choice, APSI helps clients participate in meaningful activities, take positive risks, and explore interests that build confidence and independence.
The finished book is therefore more than a fun, creative project. By choosing the story they wanted to tell and making decisions together from the first idea through publication, the members saw their own thoughts, humor, and personalities reflected in something tangible that they could proudly share with others. Their success also reflects the collaboration that surrounds them, from the individuals themselves, CLW, and APSI, to their support teams and other community partners.
For APSI, self-advocacy can take many forms. Sometimes it means speaking up during an important decision. Other times, it means having the support and opportunity to try something new, express an idea, or create something entirely your own. Through the CLW Book Club, these authors found a place to do all of those things.
The group is already working on its second book, making it clear that What Made You Laugh? was only the beginning. With more characters, ideas, and adventures still to come, the members of the CLW Book Club are continuing to share a collective superpower of their own: storytelling.
