Executive Function Specialization Pathway
A university-backed executive function specialization pathway for therapists, educators, and intervention professionals.
The Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Specialization Pathway is one of the few university-backed executive function specialization pathways designed specifically for professionals who support students and clients with learning, behavior, communication, academic performance, and real-world independence.
Unlike generic coaching certifications or strategy-based trainings, this pathway combines neuroscience, executive function assessment, intervention design, case application, mentored consultation, and competency-based learning to help professionals confidently identify and address the root causes impacting student and client performance.
Developed in partnership with Ashland University, the pathway bridges the gap between theory and real-world implementation through foundational learning, applied case analysis, treatment planning, practicum-based application, and advanced professional reasoning grounded in the SEFF framework.
Executive function support requires more than a strategy list.
Many professionals are taught executive function strategies without being taught how to determine which strategy fits which student, at which time, and why.
Students and clients may appear unmotivated, disorganized, distracted, impulsive, emotionally reactive, or dependent on adult prompting. But those surface-level behaviors often point to deeper executive function needs.
The EF Specialization Pathway helps professionals move beyond naming behaviors and into understanding the cognitive systems underneath them. Participants learn to identify executive function patterns, connect those patterns to real-world performance, and design supports that are responsive, individualized, and rooted in the SEFF framework.
The goal is not to collect more strategies.
The goal is to understand what is driving the struggle.
What Makes This Pathway Different
The EF Specialization Pathway was created for professionals who want to understand executive function deeply enough to apply it in real clinical, educational, therapeutic, and intervention settings.
This is not a generic coaching certification. It is a progressive professional learning pathway that begins with the full Seeds of Learning® Cohort Community experience and advances into mentored case application, treatment planning, practicum work, and competency demonstration.
University-Backed
Developed in partnership with Ashland University, the pathway includes graduate credit and Certificates of Achievement for eligible advanced tiers.
Grounded in the SEFF Framework
Participants learn to understand executive function through the roots, leaves, and flowers of the SEFF framework.
Competency-Based
Advanced Tiers 2 and 3 require participants to demonstrate applied understanding through case analysis, treatment planning, professional reasoning, and live mentor presentation or defense.
Mentored Application
Tier 2 and Tier 3 include individualized consultation with Seeds of Learning therapists so participants are not left to apply the material alone.
Designed for Therapists and Educators
The pathway is built for professionals supporting students and clients in therapy rooms, classrooms, schools, clinics, intervention settings, and related learning environments.
The Three-Tier Pathway
Tier Details / Comparison Chart
You are not expected to figure this out alone.
The most valuable part of Tier 2 and Tier 3 is the mentorship.
Many professionals complete executive function trainings and still feel unsure about how to apply what they learned to complex students, clients, classrooms, or therapy cases. The EF Specialization Pathway was designed to close that gap.
In Tier 2 and Tier 3, participants receive individualized consultation with Seeds of Learning therapists. These mentor sessions help participants ask questions, clarify case patterns, interpret executive function needs, prioritize intervention targets, develop treatment plans, and strengthen their professional reasoning.
Tier 3 also includes consultation with Tera, allowing participants to deepen their reasoning as they apply the SEFF framework to their own caseload.
The pathway does not stop at “learn this.” It helps you answer, “How do I apply this with the students and clients in front of me?”
Specialist Recognition & Directory Placement
Tier 3 is designed not only to deepen your executive function practice, but to help others recognize that specialized training.
Participants who successfully complete Tier 3 receive the Seeds of Learning® Specialist Endorsement: SEFF-CE, recognizing advanced application of the SEFF framework through practicum-based case work, mentored consultation, competency demonstration, and professional reasoning.
Tier 3 graduates are also eligible for placement in the Seeds of Learning® Specialist Directory, helping families, schools, and organizations identify professionals who have completed advanced SEFF-based training.
For professionals in private practice, the endorsement and directory listing may support visibility, referral development, and clearer communication of specialized executive function services. For professionals seeking employment or advancement, Tier 3 provides a meaningful way to demonstrate advanced training in executive function assessment, intervention planning, and applied support.
The SEFF-CE endorsement does not replace state licensure, professional certification, or discipline-specific scope of practice requirements.
TESTIMONIALS (add a picture to the testimonials)
“Being a part of Tera’s Seeds of Learning community has been far and away the most impactful continuing education opportunity I have ever experienced.”
— Tara Glickman, SLP
“Joining Tera’s EF community is a practice-changing investment. I now see all of my students’ language difficulties from a completely different lens. Instead of treating needs at the surface level, I now feel confident that I’m treating the root of the problem and making real change.”
— Katja Piscitelli, SLP
“I crave learning that’s immediately applicable to my practice; and this is IT! I learn, I apply, and see results.”
— Melanie Nettleton, SLP
NEXT STEPS
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FAQ 1
Do I have to complete Tier 1 before applying to Tier 2?
Yes. Tier 2 builds directly on the SEFF framework taught in Tier 1. Applicants are expected to have completed the full Seeds of Learning® Cohort, including Root Skills, Leaf Skills, and Flower Skills, or demonstrate equivalent foundational knowledge.
FAQ 2
What counts as Tier 1 completion?
Tier 1 completion means completion of the entire Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Cohort experience, including all three phases: Root Skills, Leaf Skills, and Flower Skills.
FAQ 3
Is Tier 2 available without graduate credit?
No. Tier 2 is part of the official EF Specialization Pathway and includes graduate credit through Ashland University. Participants who complete Tier 2 receive both Seeds of Learning recognition and the Ashland University Certificate of Achievement. Because graduate credit and the certificate are embedded into the pathway, there is not a non-credit version of Tier 2 at this time.
FAQ 4
What is the difference between Tier 2 and Tier 3?
Tier 2 focuses on applied case analysis and treatment planning using structured learning, mentor consultation, and a final case presentation. Tier 3 is a practicum-based experience that requires participants to apply the SEFF framework to their own student or client caseload, complete practicum hours, develop a comprehensive case study, and defend their clinical or educational reasoning in a live mentor case defense.
FAQ 5
Does Tier 3 include direct supervision?
No. Tier 3 includes mentored consultation and practicum-based application, but it does not include direct supervision. Participants remain responsible for working within their own professional scope of practice, licensure, employment requirements, and setting-specific policies.
FAQ 6
What is SEFF-CE?
SEFF-CE is the Seeds of Learning Specialist Endorsement awarded to participants who successfully complete Tier 3. It recognizes advanced application of the SEFF framework through practicum-based case work, mentored consultation, competency demonstration, and professional reasoning.
FAQ 7
Will Tier 3 graduates be listed in a directory?
Yes. Participants who successfully complete Tier 3 are eligible for placement in the Seeds of Learning specialist directory.
FAQ 8
Who is this pathway designed for?
The pathway is designed for therapists, educators, and intervention professionals, including SLPs, teachers, intervention specialists, OTs, school psychologists, school counselors, literacy specialists, academic therapists, educational consultants, EF coaches, and related professionals who support students or clients with executive function needs.
FAQ 9
Can parents complete the pathway?
Parents may benefit from the Tier 1 Cohort Community depending on the enrollment structure, but Tier 2 and Tier 3 are designed for professionals applying executive function assessment, intervention planning, and case-based reasoning in educational, therapeutic, or intervention settings.
FAQ 10
How much does the pathway cost?
Tier 2 is $1,997. Tier 3 is $3,500. Tier 1 follows current Cohort Community pricing.