The Miracle Project is thrilled to announce that three of our students appeared on Parenthood this season! You can see them as students in the new school, “The Chambers Academy” throughout multiple episodes.

Jason Katims (the creator of Parenthood) heard long-time The Miracle Project student, Spencer Harte, sing one day during the lunch break and was moved to write a role for her. She is billed as a co-star on the penultimate episode of the series on January 22nd. The Miracle Project Music Director, Zachary Marsh, also makes an appearance!

Spencer’s mother, Jill, describes her experiencing having her daughter on TV, “It has been a wonderful experience.  The cast and crew of Parenthood were so gracious and kind to our kids.”

Jill talks about what it was like watching Spencer on a professional TV set, “It was the most incredible feeling to watch Spencer on the set. She was so joyful.  There wasn’t a second of it that she didn’t love.  Literally, every single second of it.  When they were preparing to film the scene in which she sings, I watched anxiously from the sidelines. There she was, surrounded by lights, cameras, make-up and hair people, cast and crew and she had this knowing look on her face……she just looked like she was home, that she was exactly where she was meant to be.  To see Spencer, so self-assured and so infused with possibility, was a very emotional experience.  I’ll never forget that moment.”

Jill added, “We owe it all to the Miracle Project and the incredible training and experience our children have received there.  When our kids walked onto that set, they were confident, informed, prepared, professional actors!”

Spencer talked about her experience being on a real TV set, stating, “It was awesome.  I was so happy.  I was happy to work with real actors on a real TV show.”

When asked how she felt, she replied, “Excited, because now, I am a real, professional actor.   It made me feel proud.” She added, “It was the best experience of my life.  I made a lot of new friends.  I met the cast of Parenthood.  It was so cool to film at Universal where they made all those movies. I wish it didn’t have to end.”

Atticus’ mother, Sara, described her experience with having her child appear on TV, “It was an amazing experience to see my son’s dream of acting on a set at Universal Studios realized. Friends and family let us know they were watching and were all excited to see him. Although he received little actual screen time, that he received any was a thrill and went a long way towards raising his self-esteem. He now believes it is possible for him to become an actor and to have a successful career. Wonderful!”

When asked what it was like having Atticus on a real TV set, Sara responded, “It was so exciting to have my son on set! The fact that it was at Universal Studios, my son’s favorite place on Earth, was icing on the cake. The cast and crew were all lovely and made the experience one we looked forward to each time we came. Atticus has dreams of becoming an actor so this was an excellent introduction to the whole process. Socially, it was very good for him. The first day, I was struck by the ease with which my son interacted with the other teens on the show. There was a gazebo and all the kids were hanging out there talking to one another. My son held his own! The joy on his face! It was very exciting to see. We were blessed to participate in 8 episodes and over that time, the special needs kids gravitated to each other and became good friends. There was no instance of these kids being excluded by others. Instead, it was a very friendly and accepting environment.   I made friends with the other moms and that has enriched my life as well. The cast and crew raved about my son. They said he was much more well behaved and involved than most of the typical kids they were working with. They said they looked forward to seeing him when they saw his name on the roster. People told us how brilliant he was, how handsome, how funny…Monica Potter was exceptional in this regard and seemed to take a special interest in him. She kept some of his artwork and he took a picture of her holding it. When he asked how he could get her a copy, she gave him her email address and her cell phone number. He texted the pic to her! She praised his creativity and brilliance. He is beginning to create connections. These things have all helped build his self-esteem and will provide a nice foundation for him to work from. We hope there are more opportunities like this in the future.   Because of this experience, we believe there will be. This experience has given us hope. It has given us friends, has taught him about being on set, has put money in his pocket and was a ton of fun. It has been such a wonderful gift!”

Sara spoke to us about how The Miracle Project helped to prepare Atticus for TV. She explained, “The Miracle Project has helped prepare my son in many ways. The experience of writing and acting in theatrical productions has helped him to understand all that goes into putting on a play. It has improved his acting skills and his writing skills, while deepening his love for the craft, but this isn’t all he has learned or received. Freedom to express himself in a safe, supportive environment is opening him up to the world in a way that seems miraculous when I consider where we began. Something in the way these things are taught, the environment that is created for the kids to work within, is magic. You can see it in the ways the students all work together and how they support one another, high functioning and low functioning alike. The way the students strengths are highlighted while their “deficits” are accepted and worked with, allows these kids to believe in themselves and to give their best. It is a perfectly safe environment for them to be themselves. That alone feels like a bit of a miracle. The amazing staff and volunteers, all led by the inspirational Elaine Hall, create a warm, nurturing, fun environment that also challenges these kids to be more than many would believe they can be. They expect greatness from them, whatever their own particular greatness is, and the kids rise to the challenge. The summer program at CSUN really brought this home. These kids can all shine in the right environment and the Miracle Project allows the kids to do just that. There is much joy to be seen in everyone involved, from the students to the staff, to the volunteers, to the parents, to the audience. It is really special. It also brings people together. My son has learned a lot about being a friend and has made some good friends. Without the Miracle Project, My son wouldn’t have the confidence in himself he does now. He never would have received an invitation to be on the show Parenthood. He still may not have found a place to belong in the world and would have less hope for his future opportunities. He wouldn’t know his strengths and would know less about helping others. Socially, he wouldn’t have been as successful on set without the Miracle Project. The program has been such a blessing to us. Words cannot express! I wish every special needs family had access to this program because it has been such a blessing to us.”

Atticus talked about his experience being on a real set. He said, “Being on a real set was one of my life-long dreams. It was so amazing to be there, at Universal, on the set of a T.V. show. It was one of the happiest times of my life. The cast and crew were nice, and the food was amazing. Every moment that I was on set, be it waiting at the clock tower from Back to the Future or filming with the cast, I was having the time of my life.” Atticus described how being a part of Parenthood made him feel. He commented, “Being a part of Parenthood was such an honor. I thought that one day I would take the VIP tour and get to walk around on New York Street on the Universal Back Lot. I never expected to walk around on New York Street as my actual job. The actors were so kind, and everything there was so much better than I ever hoped it would be. It almost felt like a dream it was so incredible.”

Atticus recounts what it was like to take directions from people on set, “The directions were very specific, but they were easy to understand. The crew was very patient if you had a question. It really was a pleasure working with all of them on such a great show.”

He also remarked, “All around, being on Parenthood was one of the happiest experiences of my life. The people working on it were so patient and some of them were so warm and kind that they almost seemed like people working at Miracle. One of my lifelong dreams came true and my next one is to get a speaking role. If I know Miracle Project, that won’t be long.”

Mady, parent of Elena, also commented on the experience, “I felt proud and excited for her.  She totally enjoyed herself and felt a big part of the action even though she was an extra. Elena loved being around people all day and interacting with the crew, cast and extras and parents. Elena was patient, followed all cues and felt confident.  She didn’t need me at all. The Miracle Project prepared her well!”

Jill beautifully states “We owe a great debt of thanks to Jason Katims, not just for portraying autism on television in such a beautiful and respectful manner, but for reaching out to The Miracle Project and giving our kids the most amazing and life-changing opportunity.”

Elaine Hall, founder and Creative Director of The Miracle Project adds, “Thank you to Naomi Salamon for taking the first call from the casting director and letting us know about the search.”