The 10-year-old graduated from Birney Elementary Tuesday and will be starting middle school in the fall. But he has more of an uphill battle than other children his age.

Nicolas was diagnosed with autism as a toddler.

“He’s doing really well,” said Nicolas’ mother, Ruth Villaneda, 35. “He’s well-liked by his classmates.”

Nicolas proudly displayed certificates and a medal, recognizing his academic progress in science, social studies and reading.

He now has very little trouble expressing himself, school officials said.

When this newspaper first contacted the Villaneda family, Nicolas was a taciturn second-grader.

Ruth Villaneda said Nicolas has improved greatly since then.

His favorite activities include playing video games and Pokemon cards with classmates, she said.

“His official diagnosis was moderate autism, but over the years he’s moved toward the mild end of the spectrum,” she said.

While Nicolas is classified as a special education student, he has been always been placed with the general population, school officials said.

“He’s really progressed a lot this year,” said Linda Vargas, who was acting principal at Birney since January. “He’s done a lot to apply himself.”

Ruth Villaneda said when Nicolas was about 2 years old, she began noticing he wasn’t acting like other children his age.

and preferred to be alone, rather than interacting with his family like other children. he was prone to sudden tantrums, and became upset when his daily routine was interupted.

He also seemed to become overwhelmed when he was out in public, she said.

The family took him to Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center, a nonprofit that serves those with developmental disabilities.

There, he was diagnosed with autism. But school officials said early diagnosis and intervention were key in Nicolas’ success.

“I’m so proud of him,” said Maria Villaneda, Nicolas’ grandmother who came from Zacatecas, Mexico, to see him graduate from elementary school. “We all love him so much.” mashtrends