Renae and Joe Ingles on learning to live with their son’s autism

Renae Ingles has been on a steep learning curve since her young son with basketballer Joe was diagnosed with autism. Now the couple are focused on giving everything they can for their family.

Renae Ingles with children Jacob and Milla.

Renae Ingles says her “world came crashing down” when her young son was diagnosed with autism earlier this year.

The Melbourne Vixens netballer and her husband, NBA basketballer Joe, revealed in February their two-year-old son Jacob has autism — following months of questions, tests and worry.

Speaking before world autism awareness day, Ingles said it had been a steep learning curve for the family as they navigated the initial shock of Jacob’s diagnosis and adjusted to their new life.

“You could say our world came crashing down that day. More because we just had so many questions and so much was unknown to us,’’ Ingles said from the family’s Utah base.

“We knew what autism was, but we didn’t know what living with autism was, I guess you could say.”

Renae Ingles with children Jacob and Milla.

The biggest adjustment for the Ingles — including Jacob’s twin sister Milla — has been the amount of therapy and intervention Jacob needs.

He spends 25 to 30 hours as week working with therapists at home, but the family is already seeing results.

“We have therapists in our home for about five hours every day from Monday to Friday, which is a huge adjustment, having strangers in your house with your son,” Ingles said.

“The first couple of weeks were really tough for us all … but he has been in full-time therapy now for five or six weeks and he has gone from zero verbal vocabulary to having six or seven words.

“So we are seeing results, which is really exciting.

“Each and every day we are still learning. Some of those days go really well, some of those days don’t go so well.”

Jacob is coming along well with focused therapy. Image: Grant Treeby

Ingles said Jacob had three to four months of assessments, including speech and occupational therapy, before the diagnosis was made in early January.

“We were shocked. That day we were quite numb, and that next couple of weeks were pretty stressful on the family, pretty tough,” she said.

“It’s been a steep learning curve, but we are just really, really pleased we started the diagnosis process and found out this early so we can get plenty of intervention into him while he’s still so young.

“Early intervention is the key.”

The Ingles have turned their attention to raising awareness about autism.

They will trek Kokoda together in June next year to raise money for a charity that supports families of children living on the autism spectrum.

The couple of learning new skills as they go. Image: @renaeingles/Instagram.

Ingles admitted the journey had been challenging, but the couple’s careers in team sports had helped get them through it.

“There is some days that I am the strong one, and there is some days that Joe is the strong one,’’ she said.

“I guess you could say that in our careers, both of us have played team sports and pride ourselves on working as a team. And that’s exactly the same as the family unit at home, we are a team.

“We see it as pretty important to be sticking together, especially in those really tough times and tackling it together and supporting Jacob and Milla as much as possible.”

Ingles returns to Australia this week to finalise her preparations with the Vixens before the start of the Super Netball season next month.

Joe will stay in the US for the NBA playoffs with the Utah Jazz.

Originally published as Renae and Joe Ingles on learning to live with their son’s autism