The Valsalva Stuttering Network

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Stuttering (or stammering) is often characterized by forceful closures or blocks in the mouth or larynx (either sustained or repetitive), as well as delays in phonation.  There is growing evidence that these behaviors may be the result of the stutterer's instinctive activation of the body's Valsalva mechanism in an attempt to force out words when he or she anticipates difficulty or feels the need to use extra effort to speak properly.  This possibility has been generally ignored by speech pathologists and is rarely addressed by current speech therapies.  Because they aren't taught to control their Valsalva mechanism, many clients continue to have difficulty controlling their blocks and often relapse, without understanding why.

The purpose of the Valsalva-Stuttering Network is to promote research and education about stuttering and the Valsalva mechanism and methods to reduce the Valsalva mechanism's interference with speech and other activities.

The Valsalva-Stuttering Network welcomes everyone who has an interest in stuttering and/or the Valsalva mechanism, including persons who stutter, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other professionals, and researchers.

In addition to its possible involvement in stuttering, the Valsalva mechanism is also associated with blocking or "stuttering" in the playing of brass musical instruments, such as the trombone.  Therefore, the participation of brass musicians is also welcome.

Understanding & Controlling Stuttering: A Comprehensive New Approach Based on the Valsalva Hypothesis, by William D. Parry, has recently been translated into Korean and published in a hard-cover Korean edition by the Korean Speech and Hearing Association.  (The South Koreans appear to be leading the way in Valsalva Control for stuttering.)  A limited number of copies are available for the Korean-speaking community in the United States.  Please e-mail the webmaster at valsalvastutter@aol.com if you are interested in obtaining a copy or have suggestions as to appropriate libraries that might use them.

The Introduction section of this website now contains a discussion of electronic devices, such as the widely publicized SpeechEasy device, as well as further discussion of stuttering research.  Please note that this website has no connection with the SpeechEasy or any other such device. This section was recently enhanced to make it easier to navigate.

The Articles page has also been reorganized for easier use.  New articles include The Stuttering Experience (Chapter 1 of Understanding & Controlling Stuttering) and A New Outlook on Stuttering (from the Conclusion of the same book).

A new Advice and Support section has been added for persons who are practicing Valsalva Control and would like free advice and coaching.  (This is not speech therapy.)

This website now includes a number of audio clips of examples of the "Adronian speech" exercise, described in Chapter 26 of Understanding & Controlling Stuttering.  These audio examples are intended exclusively for people who have already read the detailed explanations and instructions in the book.

A new and much-improved Valsalva Stuttering Forum, which is faster and more reliable, allows HTML formatting and previewing of messages, and other features.

About the Webmaster . . .

William D. Parry, now a trial lawyer in Philadelphia, PA, wrestled with a severe stuttering problem for most of his life before discovering Valsalva Control. He is the founder of the Philadelphia Area Chapter of the National Stuttering Association, for which he served as Chapter Leader for 15 years, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Stuttering Association and chair of its Advocacy Committee for six years. He has conducted workshops on the Valsalva Hypothesis and Valsalva Control at NSA conferences for more than 10 years, at local chapter meetings and workshops for more than 17 years, and at international conferences, at which he observed the reactions of hundreds of stutterers who participated in the Valsalva exercise demonstrations.  His writings on the Valsalva Hypothesis include an article in the December 1985 issue of the Journal of Fluency Disorders and his book, Understanding & Controlling Stuttering: A Comprehensive New Approach based on the Valsalva Hypothesis (2nd ed., 2000, reprinted and updated 2002 and 2004), which is available from the NSA and Amazon.com.  (It is also available in South Korea in a hard-cover Korean language edition.)  Parry is also the author of Being Your Own Best Advocate and Stuttering as a Disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and co-author of Mastering the Job Interview . . . for People Who Stutter and Stuttering: What Employers Should Know, all of which are booklets published by the NSA. Bill Parry is not a speech therapist, receives no compensation for his workshops, and does not personally profit from the sale of his book.

Send e-mail to: valsalvastutter@aol.com

This site has been visited times since July 4, 2002.

Last modified August 25, 2004

The Valsalva Stuttering Network

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