ATLANTA -- Eight year old Ava Bullard is playing with her sisters, riding their bikes on their long country driveway. It is a simple act that defies those who said she would never talk, those who said she wouldn't function in the real world.

Ava was not a typical baby, or toddler.

Her mother Anna says, "You couldn't interact with her."

MORE | Complete coverage of The Autism Gap

Ava did not play with toys. Did not speak. Could not dress herself. Did not interact with her parents or sisters. Slept two hours a night. She was in her own world.

Anna says, "It's like she looked straight through me. She would just...it's like you weren't there, if you were in the room with her."

Anna Bullard took Ava from doctor to doctor for months. One doctor told the family Ava was 'just weird.'

Atlanta resident and New York Times Best selling author, Emily Giffin stopped by our Get Connected Studios to talk about her new book, "Where We Belong", how and why she writes and more! Find out what she hates!  Meet Emily at her book signing in Buckhead July 27th. Get details at www.emilygiffin.com/calendar.php

May is National Bike Month, a celebration of cyclists and the pastime they enjoy. Whether you ride a bicycle to work or school, or for exercise, National Bike Month is a great reminder of how to stay safe while biking on the road.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, in Georgia, as in most states, the bicycle is legally a vehicle, meaning that general traffic laws apply to cyclists. And because bikes share the road with cars and trucks, accidents can happen.

Sean Sue, M.D., an Emergency Medicine physician at  Piedmont Hospital, says the most important safety tip for a cyclist is to always wear a helmet. “Head injuries account for two thirds of all bicycle-related deaths,” he says. “Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by more than 85 percent.”