Continuing education and professional training in education and therapeutic interventions built on decades of peer-reviewed research and a deep belief in human potential.
For more than two decades, I've worked at an unusual intersection — performing arts, academic medicine, and special education — to develop therapeutic and educational frameworks that take human wonder seriously.
What began on theatrical stages became, over time, peer-reviewed clinical practice. Magic Therapy® and Hocus Focus™ are now used by occupational therapists, educators, and clinicians around the world.
"Evidence and wonder are not opposites."
Explore Our Courses
Research-backed education and therapeutic training designed for real-world impact — built by practitioners, for practitioners.
$59
An Evidence-Based Micro Course for Teachers, Therapists, Parents, and Caregivers
A foundational course exploring autism through current research, lived experience, and practical implications for the people who teach, treat, and love autistic individuals.
Practical, universal-design approaches for welcoming more people into the places where we gather: eight modules with changes you can start making to your space this week. Built from two decades of work in theaters, museums, schools, libraries, and places of worship.
Save when you enroll in both 8 Best Effective Strategies and Creating Sensory Inclusive Spaces. Built to be taken together - the first builds your foundation; the second turns it into practice.
Save when you enroll in both Understanding Autism and Understanding ADHD.
Built to be taken together - the first builds your foundation; the second turns it into practice.
Therapeutic Use of Magic Tricks in a Clinical Setting
Therapeutic Use of Magic Tricks in a Clinical Setting
The Research
The frameworks behind our work
Spencer Institute's courses are grounded in two clinical frameworks developed and refined over more than two decades of research and practice:
Magic Therapy®
A peer-reviewed, AOTA-approved therapeutic framework using the structured practice of magic to address motor skills, cognition, social engagement, and emotional regulation in clinical and educational settings.
Clinical & educational settings
Motor & cognitive skills
Social engagement
Hocus Focus™
An evidence-based educational curriculum that uses magic-based learning to develop attention, problem-solving, communication, and confidence in students with diverse learning needs.
Attention & focus
Problem-solving
Diverse learning needs
Why Spencer Institute
Built on rigor. Designed for impact.
Four reasons educators and clinicians choose our continuing education.
Peer-Reviewed Research
Every framework has been published in indexed academic journals and reviewed by clinical experts.
Real-World Application
Continuing-education credits accepted by APA, AOTA, and ASHA in 40+ countries.
Therapeutic Innovation
1:1 sessions with senior faculty for case work, supervision, and ethics review.
Professional Certification
Professional Certification Earn certificates of completion. AOTA-approved continuing education for clinicians.
About Dr. Kevin Spencer
Kevin Spencer, PhD, is an educator, researcher, and author working at the intersection of performing arts, academic medicine, and special education. He has collaborated with Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s Hospital, the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Health Professions are Arts In Medicine program, and is listed with the U.S. Department of State’s Speakers Program for cultural exchange programs.
His research has been published in indexed clinical journals including Pediatrics, the Journal of Hand Therapy, and the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. His most recent book, Teach Like a Magician (Routledge, Eye On Education), draws on more than two decades of work with educators worldwide. A second book, Using Magic in Occupational Therapy, is forthcoming in 2026.
Before turning toward research and clinical practice, Kevin had a career as an internationally touring theatrical illusionist — work that earned him recognition as International Magician of the Year in both 2009 and 2015. That experience continues to shape his conviction that wonder belongs in serious work.
Why Spencer Institute
Books & Resources
Scholarly depth from the founder, for the curious and the committed.
Routledge · Eye On Education (2025)
Teach Like a Magician
Routledge, Eye On Education (2025). Practical strategies drawn from theatrical performance for educators who want to engage students more deeply.
"I am pleased to recommend Dr. Kevin Spencer and his courses through the Spencer Institute, including his training on understanding autism and the Eight Best Practices. The content is thoughtful, practical, and highly relevant to professionals and caregivers working with individuals on the autism spectrum. Based on that experience, I believe these trainings offer significant value to mental health professionals, behavioral health providers, school systems, and others who support individuals with autism. I am confident that these mini courses would be a valuable addition to any professional development or training program serving neurodivergent individuals and the broader support network around them."
Carroll Chapman, BSW, ES, AAMH, MHRT-C, BHP
"Dr. Spencer’s micro-courses offer a wealth of knowledge, practical strategies, and valuable resources for anyone seeking to better understand and support neurodivergent individuals. His unique blend of academic expertise and professional experience allows him to translate complex topics into actionable tools. Having had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Spencer in the classroom over the past three years, I am thrilled to share his micro-courses with a broader audience of colleagues."
Caitlin Volz , MFA
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