Felt like a smack in the face...

I haven't had to experience this, but I would get her the speech therapy that she needs, especially if it's free.  Also, as far as I know, a child in speech therapy, unless there are other issues, is not labeled as "special ed" (not that it should matter).  If you are worried about her having a hard time at school, don't you think more kids would make fun of her for her speech issues (unfortunate, but true), than if she had to leave the class a few times a week for speech therapy?  I was always envious of the kids that got to leave class to go to unknown places a few times a week when I was a kid. *shrug*

I'm not saying I don't want to get her help because of being labeled, I just know school is harsh, and it's only gotten worse. I don't want her to have the label over her head that's all. For her sake. I don't care personally, she's my baby and I love her regardless no matter what. I said I was getting her the help, I was just asking how it'd make other moms feel if the child that was the one getting help wasn't the one with the real issue.

Or have both kids with some issues. My other daughter's are based on something traumatic happening to her. Beyond anyone's control..

If you get her the help, she won't have a label. At this point, she should be pronouncing those words correctly. The sooner you get her help, the sooner her problem can be corrected. She's young, the other kids won't know what she's doing. She would be more likely made fun of if she can't speak correctly.

Everyone needs to stop flipping out about "labels." She has a speech delay and its being addressed. It has a "label" so that people know what is going on. I had a severe speech delay as a child. I was in speech therapy from age 3 until fourth grade (like I said, severe). NONE of my friends knew, as they had no REASON to know, that I was "labeled" special Ed. I was still always one of the smartest kids in my class and being in therapy did NOT make school hard. What would have made it hard would have been NOT getting help.

My ds has a few issues. They won't do anything just yet because boys speech develops later. I've seen the chart at a meeting with his teacher. His is his Ls and Rs. Especially put together. He can't say Larry. Says larly. And really. It comes out weird. But they just pull them out of class for therapy and send them back. Ds has friends in there. Not a big deal.

I agree with previous responses. She would more likely not be labeled special ed. And the speech will help her long term.

I know it will help her, again, not really my point of the post. I guess I should have worded it differently. She will be getting the help. I wanted to see about getting her help before they mentioned it but didn't know where to go. Since she wasn't in the RISE program and she's too old for it,  I didn't ask them. Her pedi didn't seem concered with her speech either and this is making me have 2nd thoughts about this doctor. 

After the age of 3, it is the school districts responsibility to handle those things or you can speak with your ped and get into private therapy but it can be costly. And in preschool, the kids have 0 idea who is in special ed and who isn't. I 100% doubt she would be in a contained classroom. She'd be in a normal class with other normal kids and they would do therapy during school hours. My son is in special ed and in an integrated class. The kids in his class don't even realize he isn't completely like them and he's got a feeding tube he is hooked up to 24/7. Kids are pretty oblivious at this age :)

Speech therapy would not be labeled, it would be rectified.