ice creams

I was aware of freya's food issues long before I knew she was autistic, she had been a compulsive eater from the time she could express a wish for food and grabit off our plates. Over the last few years her food preferences have changed and have become more fussy. For a long time now she's insisted on dip with everything, at first I used to think oh well my older kids used to want ketchup with most meals, but the difference is with freya if it doesn't have dip she won't eat it! More often that not these days she eats the dip with her hands and leaves the rest.
table manners just don't exist and despite telling her at every meal since she was weaned to sit down and use her cutlery she chooses to stand and use her hands.
we were at Ikea recently when she emptied her water onto the table and began lapping it up like a dog :/ this aroused many disapproving stares from other mothers, only one little old man seemed to see the funny side of it!
The last few days have seen a return to emptying her food onto the floor and eating it from there. She's like a magician, she can open the big pantry door, she can shake the gate off to get in the kitchen although her big sisters often helpfully leave it open for her!
we have been fairly lucky in the past that when she's got obsessed with one food it's generally been fruit but the food of the moment is ice creams, she asks for one about once an hour and eats about five a day now.
When my eldest four were little I would have told them no and they would have had to eat what they were given but it's very obvious that freya doesn't understand we may be about to have tea or you shouldn't still be hungry or wait till I've finished the dishes etc

Here she is helping herself after someone kindly left the freezer lock off for her!!