As seen on "Joan of Arcadia"

Puzzled about stuttering? If so, here is a book, written in clear, every-day language, that fits together the pieces of the stuttering puzzle as never before. The key to its approach is the Valsalva Hypothesis. This exciting new theory proposes that stuttering blocks may result from a neurological confusion between the voice and the Valsalva mechanism (which normally assists us in exerting effort and forcing things out of the body). The book demonstrates how physical and psychological factors may interact to stimulate and perpetuate stuttering through a "Valsalva-Stuttering Cycle."

The book sheds new light on virtually every aspect of stuttering behavior - its causes, its paradoxes (e.g., why it's worse in some instances but not others), and its many forms of treatment. Finally, it suggests an experimental self-therapy program, called Valsalva Control, aimed at controlling the Valsalva mechanism, breaking the stuttering cycle, and freeing the stutterer's inherent fluency.

NEW: A Korean language edition has been published in hard cover by the Korean Speech and Hearing Association. Persons interested may e-mail the author at valsalvastutter@aol.com.

Contents of Understanding and Controlling Stuttering, with links to selected chapters from the book.

See The Valsalva Mechanism: A Key to Understanding and Controlling Stuttering, for an introductory article about the Valsalva Hypothesis and the possible relationship between stuttering and the Valsalva mechanism (based on author's presentation at the 1995 World Congress for People Who Stutter).

Comments about the book and the Valsalva Hypothesis

Author's Comments

About the author

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Stuttering Links

Responses to the Valsalva Hypothesis from Readers Who Stutter

"Lucid, easy-to-read . . . . You learn to see your stuttering in an entirely new light. . . . Bill has identified and demystified one of the key elements of the [stuttering] system - the speech block - and he does it in a way that makes perfect sense. His book ... is essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of his or her own stuttering. It's also a must for the speech pathologist looking for a keener understanding of the hidden dynamics behind the stuttering block."

John C. Harrison - Review in Letting Go, National Stuttering Project

"A well-researched book which benefits from the author's personal experience of stammering."

Dr. Trudy Stewart - Review in Speaking Out, Association for Stammerers (England)

"[The Valsalva Hypothesis] is of potentially significant scientific value in explaining the nature of stuttering behavior. . . . Though not a speech pathologist, Bill Parry has a trained, precise mind . . . and makes a meaningful plea for research to confirm or refute the Valsalva hypothesis."

J. David Williams, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University

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Most people who stutter are capable of fluent speech at least some of the time. Their problem is not the lack of ability to speak, but rather an interference with that ability - usually when the words seem most important. This book shows how a stutterer's blocks are actually powered by the body's Valsalva mechanism - a neurologically coordinated combination of muscles in the larynx, mouth, chest, and abdomen. According to the Valsalva Hypothesis, stutterers may have developed the habit of activating the Valsalva mechanism in an attempt to force out words when they anticipate difficulty in speaking. Although this may feel like the "right" thing to do, it results in forceful blockages of airflow by the mouth or larynx and interference with phonation - two of the basic, underlying elements of stuttering. Therefore, the harder one struggles against stuttering, the worse the blocks become. After years of stuttering, these behaviors become deeply rooted in the nerve pathways of the brain, making them extremely difficult to change.

This book lays out a comprehensive plan to improve fluency by controlling the Valsalva mechanism and breaking the Valsalva-Stuttering Cycle. Unlike other therapies, which may have an indirect effect on various aspects of the Valsalva-Stuttering Cycle, Valsalva Control focuses directly on the Valsalva mechanism itself and attacks all aspects of the Cycle - both physical and psychological. It includes specific advice and exercises related to breathing, phonating, and relaxing muscles of the Valsalva mechanism. The goal is not artificially produced fluency, but speech that is free, easy, and enjoyable.

The book does not promise any quick and easy gimmicks to "cure" stuttering. Instead, its approach requires that we first gain a thorough understanding of what stuttering is and why we do it. Based on insights gained from the Valsalva Hypothesis, it analyzes the symptoms and circumstances of stuttering, the development of stuttering in childhood, the influence of heredity and neurological factors, and the physical and psychological conditions that tend to increase or reduce stuttering. It then discusses the strengths and weaknesses of existing therapies (including drugs and electronic devices), points out the elements that many therapies have in common, shows why most stutterers tend to relapse, and indicates ways in which therapies might be made more effective.

It would be presumptuous to claim that people will be "cured" of stuttering just by reading a book. Nevertheless, this book is sure to provide a deeper understanding of stuttering, as well as effective tools to reduce one's struggle in speaking.

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William D. Parry received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was an Editor of the Law Review. After struggling most of his life with a severe stuttering problem, Parry became frustrated with existing theories and therapies and began his own research and experimentation. This resulted in his "Valsalva Hypothesis" (published in the Journal of Fluency Disorders in December 1985) and a therapeutic approach called "Valsalva Control," which dramatically improved his fluency. He is now a trial lawyer in Philadelphia and is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Who's Who in America and Who's Who in American Law.

Parry founded the Philadelphia Area Chapter of the National Stuttering Association in 1985 and led its support group meetings for 15 years. He has appeared on TV and radio talk shows and, in 1987, received the "Spirit of Philadelphia Award" from WCAU-TV Channel 10 News. He has given workshops and presentations on the Valsalva Hypothesis locally, at NSP conventions, at the Third International Convention for People Who Stutter in 1992, and at the World Congress of People Who Stutter, in 1995 in Sweden, and elsewhere. A preliminary edition of his book, Understanding and Controlling Stuttering, first appeared in 1992. The Completed Edition was published in 1994, after nine years of work on the project, and the Second Edition was published in 2000. He served for six years on the Board of Directors of the National Stuttering Association and as Chair of its Advocacy Committee.

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The Second Edition (2000) of Understanding and Controlling Stuttering may be ordered from the National Stuttering Association, Amazon.com., or Barnes & Noble.com.

For information concerning stuttering self-help and support, please contact:

National Stuttering Association

119 West 40th Street, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10018

Telephone: (800) WE STUTTER or (212) 944-4050

Fax: (212) 944-8244

e-mail: info@westutter.org

Researchers and speech-language pathologists seeking further information about the Valsalva Hypothesis and Valsalva Control may contact: The Valsalva-Stuttering Network - on the web at www.valsalva.org or e-mail: valsalvastutter@aol.com.

Profits from the sale of Understanding and Controlling Stuttering are used to benefit stuttering support groups (including the NSA and its Philadelphia Area Chapter), The Valsalva-Stuttering Network, stuttering education and research, and persons with disabilities.

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Updated: August 13, 2004

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