Specialist in Executive Function Framework
Certified Endorsement (SEFF-CE)

Advanced study. Applied practice.
Demonstrated competency.

SEFF-CE is an advanced professional specialization for professionals who have completed the Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Specialization Pathway and demonstrated competency applying the Sumpter Executive Function Framework (SEFF) within professional practice.

It is not earned by simply completing a course. SEFF-CE represents progressive study, individualized mentorship, applied casework, intervention planning and implementation, practicum experience, and competency-based evaluation.

48.5

30

90

8

Continuing education hours of study

Hours of advanced applied practice

Hours of practicum experience

Graduate credits through Ashland University

explore the pathway

What Does SEFF-CE Represent?

SEFF-CE identifies professionals who have moved beyond learning about executive function to demonstrating how to apply executive function reasoning in practice. Credential holders develop advanced skills in:

  • Functional executive function assessment

  • Case analysis and interpretation

  • Identifying patterns across performance and context

  • Prioritizing areas for intervention

  • Intervention planning and implementation

  • Evaluating learner response

  • Professional reasoning and communication

SEFF-CE professionals apply this training within the boundaries of their existing professional role, qualifications, and scope of practice.

Advanced Preparation
With Graduate Credit

The Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Specialization Pathway is developed in collaboration with Ashland University, with graduate credit integrated into the advanced training sequence. Professionals who complete Tiers 2 and 3 earn a combined 8 Graduate Credits Through Ashland University:

Tier 2: 2 graduate credits
Tier 3: 6 graduate credits

Graduate credit is one component of the pathway.
Candidates must also successfully complete the applied, mentorship, practicum, and competency requirements established by Seeds of Learning® before earning the SEFF-CE credential.

Your Path to SEFF-CE

SEFF-CE is the culminating credential in the three-tier Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Specialization Pathway.

TIER 1

Executive Function Foundations

48.5 continuing education hours

Build a comprehensive foundation in executive function through the full Seeds of Learning® Online Cohort Community. Complete all three phases:

  • Roots: 18 continuing education hours

  • Leaves:18 continuing education hours

  • Flowers: 12.5 continuing education hours

Tier 1 establishes the foundation needed for advanced specialization and must be completed before applying for Tier 2.

Completion of Tier 1 does not confer the SEFF-CE credential.

Learn about the executive function online cohort community

TIER 2

Executive Function
Applied Practice

30 hours + 2 graduate credits

Move from understanding executive function to applying it within real cases and professional decision-making. Tier 2 includes:

  • 10 weeks of advanced applied training

  • Approximately 30 professional development hours

  • Five individual mentorship meetings

  • Applied case analysis

  • Intervention planning and implementation

  • Reflection and revision

  • Formal competency-based case presentation

  • 2 graduate credits through Ashland University

  • Certificate of Achievement in Applied Executive Function Practice from Ashland University

Successful completion of Tier 2 is required to advance to Tier 3.

TIER 3

Specialist Practicum
& Mastery

90-hour practicum + 6 graduate credits

Tier 3 is the culminating advanced fellowship in the SEFF-CE pathway. Over 12 weeks, professionals build greater independence in applying executive function reasoning through intensive practicum experience, mentorship, case consultation, intervention, and competency-based evaluation. Tier 3 includes:

  • 90 hours of applied practicum experience

  • Seven individual mentorship meetings + one group mentorship meeting

  • Advanced case consultation

  • Intervention implementation and analysis

  • Professional reasoning and competency-based evaluation

  • 6 graduate credits through Ashland University

  • Certificate of Achievement in Advanced Executive Function Practice from Ashland University

Successful completion of Tier 3 and all credential requirements confers the SEFF-CE: Specialist in Executive Function Framework–Certified Endorsement.

What SEFF-CE Professionals Learn to Do

Develop Functional Executive Function Assessments.

Design individualized assessments that examine executive function in real-world tasks using observation, level of support, functional demands, and relevant data.

Analyze complex cases.

Identify meaningful patterns across assessment findings, observations, functional demands, settings, and levels of support.

Develop and communicate professional hypotheses.

Explain how executive processes may contribute to a learner’s functional difficulty and identify areas requiring further investigation.

Prioritize intervention.

Determine where intervention should begin based on the learner’s current profile and level of independence.

Design and implement appropriate intervention.

Develop supports that align with the learner’s needs and systematically adjust executive demand over time.

Evaluate and revise professional decisions.

Use learner response, performance data, observation, and reflection to determine whether intervention should be maintained, modified, or reconsidered.

Communicate a clear reasoning process.

Articulate the connection between assessment, interpretation, prioritization, intervention, and functional outcomes.

More Than a
Certificate of Completion

SEFF-CE is awarded only after successful completion of the full three-tier specialization pathway and its associated competency requirements.

Participation alone does not confer the credential. To earn SEFF-CE, professionals complete:

  • 48.5 continuing education hours of foundational study

  • 30 hours of advanced applied practice

  • 90 hours of practicum experience

  • 8 graduate credits through Ashland University

  • Individualized mentorship

  • Applied assessment and case analysis

  • Intervention planning and implementation

  • Formal competency evaluation

The result is a credential based on both preparation and demonstrated application.

Once You Earn SEFF-CE

Professionals who successfully earn the credential may use the SEFF-CE Post-Nominal Designation. Credential holders also receive a professional digital credential badge for approved professional use.

The SEFF-CE designation and badge may be used on:

  • Professional websites

  • Résumés and curriculum vitae

  • Professional biographies

  • Email signatures

  • Professional profiles

  • Approved organizational materials

Credential holders are also eligible for inclusion in the Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Specialist Directory, providing a public way to verify successful completion of SEFF-CE requirements.

Find an Executive Function Specialist

Understanding the SEFF-CE

  • The SEFF-CE, or Specialist in Executive Function Framework–Certified Endorsement, is an advanced professional credential awarded by Seeds of Learning® to professionals who complete the full Executive Function Specialization Pathway and demonstrate competency in applying the Sumpter Executive Function Framework (SEFF) in practice.

  • The SEFF-CE is designed for professionals who want advanced training in understanding, assessing, and supporting executive function within their existing professional role and scope of practice.

  • It is a professional specialization credential, not a single course. Earning the SEFF-CE requires foundational study, advanced coursework, individualized mentorship, applied casework, intervention planning and implementation, practicum experience, and competency-based evaluation.

  • The pathway includes three tiers:

    Tier 1: Executive Function Foundations
    Complete the full Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Cohort: Roots, Leaves, and Flowers, totaling 48.5 continuing education hours.

    Tier 2: Executive Function Applied Practice
    Complete a 10-week advanced training experience that includes approximately 30 hours of applied practice, individualized mentorship, case analysis, intervention planning, and a competency-based case presentation.

    Tier 3: Executive Function Specialist Practicum & Mastery
    Complete a 12-week advanced fellowship that includes 90 hours of practicum experience, mentorship, advanced case consultation, intervention implementation, and competency requirements.

  • Yes. You must complete all three phases of the Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Cohort — Roots, Leaves, and Flowers — before applying for Tier 2.

  • The pathway is designed to help you apply executive function knowledge to real professional decisions. You’ll learn to assess executive function in real-world contexts, analyze complex cases, identify patterns, prioritize intervention, develop and adjust supports, evaluate learner response, and clearly communicate your clinical or professional reasoning.

  • Yes. Tier 3 includes 90 hours of applied practicum experience in which participants demonstrate increasingly independent use of executive function reasoning within professional practice.

  • Yes. Participants earn graduate credit through Ashland University as part of the advanced specialization pathway: 2 graduate credits in Tier 2 and 6 graduate credits in Tier 3, for a total of 8 graduate credits.

  • No. The SEFF-CE credential is awarded by Seeds of Learning®. Ashland University provides the graduate credit incorporated into Tiers 2 and 3 and awards Certificates of Achievement associated with those portions of the pathway.

  • No. Participation or course attendance alone does not qualify someone for the SEFF-CE. Candidates must successfully complete the required applied work, mentorship, practicum, graduate-credit requirements, and competency-based evaluations.

  • Credential holders may use the SEFF-CE designation after their name and receive a professional digital credential badge for approved use on résumés, professional biographies, websites, email signatures, and other professional materials.

    Professionals who earn the credential are also eligible for inclusion in the Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Specialist Directory.

  • No. The SEFF-CE is an advanced specialization that complements your existing professional qualifications. It does not replace a degree, professional license, certification, or board credential, and it does not expand your legal or professional scope of practice.

  • Yes. Credential holders are expected to remain in good standing, maintain the qualifications required by their profession, follow Seeds of Learning® credential standards, and complete applicable renewal or continuing competency requirements.