NEW YORK (AP) — A 13-year-old autistic boy says he performed the Heimlich maneuver on a classmate at his New York City school after learning the technique from "SpongeBob SquarePants."

The Staten Island Advance reports (http://bit.ly/1RAXucJ ) that Brandon Williams was eating lunch at Barnes Intermediate School on Oct. 28 when he noticed that classmate Jessica Pellegrino was choking on a piece of apple.

He wrapped his arms around her mid-section and gave a sharp thrust to her diaphragm, and she spit out the piece of apple.

Brandon was asked how he learned the Heimlich a few days later. He said, "Learned it on SpongeBob."

Brandon’s and Jessica’s seventh-grade class had a party to celebrate Brandon’s heroism. Some adults at the school said Brandon deserves a medal but he said he doesn’t need one.

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Information from: Staten Island Advance, http://www.silive.com

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