Meet Aki!

 

Aki is shy at school and prefers to be by himself or to share with just one friend at a time. He feels anxious around groups of people and sometimes feels sad for long periods of time. His friends always invite him to play group games, but they have learned, he would rather sit nearby and read his graphic novels. He loves to draw and create worlds of his own too!

 

Aki lives with his grandparents in an apartment above their grocery store in town. His Jiji and Baba were born in Japan. They came to America when they were young and they have suffered many hardships; one of which is the struggle to raise a young child in America when you are from a different time and place. Aki doesn’t meet all of their expectations and they don’t understand a lot of his interests. They love him dearly though, and because of this they try to be patient and understanding. 

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Aki sees the school psychologist to learn to cope with trauma, anxiety and depression. She teaches him breathing techniques and  helps him express himself through play therapy.