Control of a laundry treating apparatus, in which a drum is controlled to accelerate to a first rate of rotation and then decelerate from the first rate of rotation to a second rate of rotation. A deceleration time taken for the drum having accelerated to the first rate of rotation to be decelerated to the second rate of rotation is determined and at least one of a dryness level and a percentage of water content of laundry received in the drum is determined based on the deceleration time. A determination is made as to whether the laundry in the drum includes water-filled laundry based on at least one of the dryness level and the percentage of water content of the laundry and dehydration drying of the laundry in the drum is controlled based on the determination of whether the laundry in the drum includes water-filled laundry.