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A licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, founder
and former leader of the Philadelphia Area Chapter of
the National Stuttering Association, and former member of the National Stuttering
Association Board of Directors
(Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition,
2013, trade paperback,
320 pages, 6 x9 inches, perfect bound, illustrated; ISBN
1-929773-24-2)
Puzzled about stuttering? Do you wonder why
words often feel like “brick walls,” even before you try to say them? Or why
your blocks get stronger the harder you try to force through them? 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 – an exciting new
theory that explains stuttering blocks as a neurological confusion between voice
and the body’s Valsalva mechanism, in response to anxiety or the anticipation of
difficulty in speaking. As a result, the larynx is prepared to exert effort
instead of phonating a word’s vowel sound, causing speech to get stuck
on the consonant or glottal stop preceding the vowel. The book demonstrates how
neurological, physiological, and psychological factors interact to stimulate and
perpetuate stuttering through a "Valsalva-Stuttering Cycle."
This book sheds new light on virtually every
aspect of stuttering behavior – its causes, its variability, and its many forms
of treatment. Finally, it outlines a comprehensive
self-help program based on
Valsalva Stuttering Therapy, aimed at relaxing the Valsalva
mechanism, eliminating blocks, freeing your inherent fluency, and allowing you
to speak in an easy, effortless, and natural way.
The Revised and
Expanded Third Edition contains many new insights and exercises,
developed through actual clinical experience, experimentation, and
practice-based evidence, involving the participation of dozens of persons who
stutter from all over the world.
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Contents of
Understanding and Controlling Stuttering - Revised and
Expanded Third Edition.
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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).
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Comments about the book and the Valsalva Hypothesis
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About the author
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How to order
What others have said about the previous edition . . .
"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. . . . "
J. David Williams, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University
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About the Author . . .
William
D. Parry, Esq., M.A., CCC-SLP
 Bill Parry is a licensed speech-language pathologist and
former trial lawyer. He 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.
This enabled him to become a successful trial lawyer in Philadelphia. He
has been 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 more than 15 years. He also served for
six years on the Board of Directors of the National Stuttering Association
and as Chair of its Advocacy Committee. 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, and the Second Edition was published in 2000
and went through five printings.
It has been the NSA's most popular book and one of the most popular books on
stuttering on Amazon.com. The Revised and Expanded Third Edition arrived
in 2013.
Parry received a
Master's Degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Science from Temple University.
He has received a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language
Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), is
licensed in Pennsylvania and several other states,
and is currently practicing stuttering therapy in the Philadelphia area and by
video conferencing where permitted by law.
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Stuttering Links.]
How to order . . .
The Revised and Expanded Third Edition of
Understanding & Controlling Stuttering may be obtained from
the
National Stuttering Association or from
Amazon.com.
For information concerning stuttering self-help and support, please contact:
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National Stuttering Association
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119 West 40th Street, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10018
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Telephone: (800) WE STUTTER or (212) 944-4050
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Fax: (212) 944-8244
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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.
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