12/19/2025
Community Impact
Kevin Spencer at UMC Children's Hospital
When Kevin Spencer performs a magic trick, curiosity is instantly sparked — no matter if he’s in front of a kindergarten class or working with Parkinson’s patients. “It doesn’t make any difference if you’re 5 years old, if you’re 50 years old, if you’re 100 years old … everybody is intrigued by the seeming impossibility of a magic trick,” he says.
With a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s in arts and academic interdisciplinary education and a Ph.D. in education with a focus on special ed, Spencer has become a leading authority on the educational and therapeutic applications of magic tricks to empower individuals of any age. In December, Spencer joined The Smith Center’s Education & Outreach team for a weeklong residency to share his magical skills across the Las Vegas valley.
“Spencer led a variety of workshops throughout Las Vegas during his residency week, including magic performances at local schools for students with disabilities, bedside visits at UMC Children's Hospital and professional development sessions for teachers and occupational and physical therapists.”
The week culminated with “A Magical Workshop for Living Well with Parkinson’s” inside Troesh Studio Theater at The Smith Center, where Spencer worked with patients from the nearby Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health alongside occupational therapy students from UNLV.
“What we have found is that when you use magic as a therapeutic intervention, all of the movements required to learn a simple magic trick are all the same movements that are required in traditional forms of therapy,” Spencer says. “[And] at the end, you have something really cool that you get to show somebody. The social side of magic is what makes it so effective.”
Spencer’s approach targets multiple physical and mental functions simultaneously. “When we are teaching students or clients a magic trick, there are two phases: There’s the learning of the magic trick — we want them to know how it works — but then there’s the performing of the magic trick.”
Through his process, clients work on cognition, memory and sequencing, along with receptive and expressive communication. Manipulating magic props can also help with motor skills.
“Magic is one of the few art forms that requires an audience,” Spencer emphasizes. “You cannot do a magic trick for yourself.”
Participants receive their own “magic kits” to take home for extra practice, complete with a miniature wand and everyday items like rubber bands, paper clips and rope. “We want them to be able to do magic anywhere, anytime, because the magic is connected to them, not to the props that they use,” Spencer says.
Go behind the scenes of Spencer’s workshops through videos on our Instagram (@SmithCenterLV) and YouTube (@TheSmithCenterLasVegas) accounts.
