If you are a person who stutters
(stammers), do words sometimes feel like "brick walls," even before
you try to say them? Do you repeat, prolong,
or force on initial consonants?
Do you
sometimes choke on words that start with vowels?
Do your blocks get stronger the harder you try to break
through them?
This website will propose a revolutionary new
approach to understanding and alleviating these common stuttering behaviors, based on the author�s
clinical experience with Valsalva Stuttering Therapy,
involving the participation of more than one hundred persons who stutter from
all over the world. It will show
that the problem is not in saying consonants, but rather the
neurological substitution of effort in place of phonation
of the word�s vowel sound. This reaction may be triggered by the
anticipation of difficulty or the urge to use effort to reduce anxiety.
The core of ordinary developmental
stuttering is the unreadiness of the larynx to voice the vowel
sound of a word or syllable. This occurs because the larynx is
neurologically prepared to participate in the exertion of physical effort (by
performing effort closure as part of a Valsalva maneuver) rather
than phonation.
The neurological programming for effort attaches to the
vowel sound � probably because this is heart of the word or syllable and the
part that has the most energy.
Consequently, the speech mechanism
gets stuck on the consonant or glottal stop that precedes the vowel � repeating,
prolonging, or forcing on it � resulting in the various behaviors called
�stuttering.�
Therefore, it
might be said that
stuttering (stammering) is best understood and treated as
a specific kind of voice problem, rather than as a �fluency� problem or
an articulation problem.
Stuttering
(or stammering), in its most common form, may involve 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 therapists and
is rarely addressed by current stuttering therapy. Because persons who
stutter aren't
taught to control their Valsalva mechanism, many continue to have
difficulty controlling their stuttering blocks and often relapse after therapy, without understanding
why they are unable to stop stuttering.
The purpose of the Valsalva-Stuttering Network is to promote research and education about stuttering
and the Valsalva mechanism and to develop effective stuttering therapies and
techniques to reduce the Valsalva mechanism's interference
with speech.
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.
This website currently
includes the following:
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Introduction -
An overview and basic explanation of stuttering, Valsalva-stuttering,
the Valsalva mechanism, the Valsalva maneuver, the Valsalva
Hypothesis regarding stuttering, the current shortcomings of stuttering therapy, and
a comprehensive new approach called Valsalva
Stuttering Therapy. |
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Free Stuttering
Information - Information about controlling the physiological
mechanism that may cause stuttering blocks. Intended for persons wishing to
explore the Valsalva Control approach to improving their
fluency. |
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Stuttering
Blocks Explained (VIDEO). |
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Articles - Links
to more detailed articles on this website regarding stuttering, stuttering
therapy, why various methods have been unsuccessful in stopping
stuttering, the Valsalva
Hypothesis, and Valsalva Stuttering Therapy to improve fluency. |
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The Worldwide
Valsalva Stuttering Therapy Program - Valsalva Stuttering
Therapy is
now available worldwide through video conferencing over the Internet. |
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Research -
Results of the first clinical study
of Valsalva Stuttering Therapy - plus video showing dramatic initial
results of Phase 2 intensive therapy study - presented at the
National Stuttering
Association annual conference in Ft. Worth, Texas, July 7, 2011.
(NOTE: No additional volunteers are needed for the study, because there
is already sufficient evidence as to the effectiveness of Valsalva
Control.) |
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Links - Links to
external websites regarding stuttering, stuttering therapy, the Valsalva maneuver,
stuttering support organizations, and other information resources. |