Professional Certification Program
Executive Function Coach Certification Course
A structured, five-step certification program for prospective coaches ready to support students and families with executive function challenges.
Program Details
Course Information
Instructor
Sean G. McCormick M.Ed
Format
Self-paced online course with live meeting sessions
On Completion
Certificate of completion + EF Coaching Academy Directory listing
What You Need
Internet connection, access to Thinkific, curiosity & a can-do attitude
About This Program
Course Description
The Executive Function Coach Certification course guides prospective executive function coaches to overcome fear, a lack of technical knowledge, and coaching expertise by teaching them a five-step process for supporting parents and students with executive function challenges — so these prospective coaches can feel confident and prepared to serve students and families.
What You Will Learn
Student Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
Facilitate meetings with prospective parents and students to identify goals for the coaching relationship.
Select appropriate assessment tools to establish a baseline for a student's executive function skills
Summarize the importance of having a student self-select and self-monitor their goals
Apply knowledge of how to create a detailed organizational system in service of student needs
Engage families through increased parental involvement by facilitating the Family Team Meeting process
Launch and grow a coaching practice by building a referral network, setting pricing, and acquiring first clients.
Course Checklist
Curriculum Overview
A complete breakdown of every meeting, lesson, and estimated time — so you always know what's ahead.
The Early Bird Gets the Work — Pre-Work
Get oriented before the live sessions begin: review the syllabus and outcomes, set up your tools and community access, and learn how to navigate the course. You'll also watch the foundational video on what executive function skills are and why students struggle with them — grounded in the research of Dr. Russell Barkley and Dr. Adele Diamond — and complete the Semester Success Blueprint. This sets the research-backed foundation for everything that follows.
#
Content / Focus
Est. Time
1
Review the course syllabus, agreements, and outcomes
15 min
2
What are the dates of the live meetings?
5 min
3
How do I log into the live classes or Q & A sessions?
5 min
4
Join the Skool community and start the 90-day get your first paid client program
15 min
5
General tips for how to navigate your course experience 🗺️
7 min
7
What are executive functions and why do students struggle with them? (optional pre-course video)
80 min
8
Take the Semester Success Blueprint Course
120 min
9
Take these tools for a test drive 🚗
45 min
10
Join the Skool Community group 💬
5 min
11
Want to try Tutorbird?
5 min
12
Whenever you feel overwhelmed, start here
10 min
13
Frequently Asked Questions
15 min
14
SURVEY: The Bridge to Meeting 1
10 min
Meeting 1 — Find families that are the perfect fit
Learn how to attract and identify the families best suited to your coaching. You'll run effective discovery calls that surface a family's real goals and pre-qualify for fit, so you begin every relationship with clarity and the right expectations on both sides. This is the foundation of a practice built on right-fit clients rather than convincing the wrong ones.
1
Content / Focus
Est. Time
2
Watch Meeting 1
40 min
3
Question and answer time
15 min
4
Wrap up and preview for next week
5 min
5
Independent work: Complete the chapter quiz
10 min
6
Independent work: Share your key takeaway on the community page and respond to one other person's key takeaway
10 min
Meeting 2 — Track progress with families effectively
Onboard clients professionally and put the systems in place to measure what matters. You'll collect baseline data, create a Plan of Service, and learn a simple framework for tracking student progress using leading and lagging indicators. The session also covers the research on the urgency of supporting students with ADHD and the tools that keep families informed and engaged.
1
Content / Focus
Est. Time
2
Presentation
40 min
3
Question and answer time
15 min
4
Wrap up and preview for next week
5 min
5
Independent work: Complete chapter quiz
10 min
6
Independent work: Share your key takeaway on the community page and respond to one other person's key takeaway
10 min
Meeting 3 — Set goals with your students
Master goal-setting by helping each student commit to one measurable goal and tracking it consistently. You'll learn the PEMDAS Framework (Prioritize, Establish, Make aware, Divide, Accountability, Show pride) and the Six Principles of Master-Level EF Coaching, then see them applied in a real case study. Connection-building techniques help lower a student's resistance so the goals actually stick.
1
Content / Focus
Est. Time
2
Presentation
40 min
3
Question and answer time
15 min
4
Wrap up and preview for next week
5 min
5
Independent work: Complete chapter quiz
10 min
6
Independent work: Share your key takeaway on the community page and respond to one other person's key takeaway
10 min
7
Complete the Bridge survey to ask any follow-up questions before next meeting
10 min
Meeting 4 — Teach EF skills and structure your sessions
Get a complete toolkit for sessions that move students forward. You'll teach self-monitoring through consolidated assignment lists, self-advocacy through the PING email method, and task initiation through timer techniques and the PLAN Calendar Method. Evidence-based buy-in strategies and a clear, repeatable session structure tie it all together.
1
Content / Focus
Est. Time
2
Presentation
40 min
3
Question and answer time
15 min
4
Wrap up and preview for next week
5 min
5
Independent work: Complete chapter quiz
10 min
6
Independent work: Share your key takeaway on the community page and respond to one other person's key takeaway
10 min
7
Complete the Bridge survey to ask any follow-up questions before next meeting
10 min
Meeting 5 — Guide the family
Learn to navigate the hardest coaching scenarios — the resistant student and the over-involved or anxious parent. Through case studies you'll practice solution-focused prompting, the approximation framework, and over-communication strategies for managing challenging parents. You'll also learn to run effective Family Team Meetings and reframe student "weaknesses" as strengths.
1
Content / Focus
Est. Time
2
Presentation
40 min
3
Question and answer time
15 min
4
Wrap up and preview for next week
5 min
5
Independent work: Complete chapter quiz
10 min
6
Independent work: Share your key takeaway on the community page and respond to one other person's key takeaway
10 min
7
Complete the Bridge survey to ask any follow-up questions before next meeting
10 min
Meeting 6 — Launch your practice
Go from certified to booked. You'll set a powerful BANG goal (Big, Audacious, Noble, Goal), design your package and pricing, and build a referral network of neuropsychologists, attorneys, therapists, and college counselors — no social media required. The session closes with pricing-objection handling, client-retention practices, and the outreach process for landing your first clients.
1
Content / Focus
Est. Time
2
Presentation
40 min
3
Question and answer time
15 min
4
Wrap up and preview for next week
5 min
5
Independent work: Complete chapter quiz
10 min
6
Independent work: Share your key takeaway on the community page and respond to one other person's key takeaway
10 min
7
Complete the Bridge survey to ask any follow-up questions before next meeting
10 min
Next Steps — After Certification
Complete the final steps to earn your certificate and join the EF Coaching Academy Directory. You'll create your directory listing, learn how to access and share your certificate, and explore the ongoing membership program. This is where certification turns into a launched, listed, and supported practice.
1
Content / Focus
Est. Time
2
Create your listing on the EF Coaching Academy Directory!
15 min
3
Want to join the Executive Function Coaching Academy membership program?
5 min
4
How to access your course certificate 🪪
3 min
5
How to share your achievement
5 min
6
SURVEY: Share your feedback on your experience with this program
20 min
What's Required
Certification Requirements
Here's everything you need to know about what's required — and what's optional — to earn your certification and directory listing.
Required for Certification
Attend or watch the class sessions
Complete each class quiz
Post your key takeaway / insight in the module
Comment on at least one other person's post
Required for Directory Listing
Complete all certification requirements above
Complete any directory profile / listing information
Submit one recorded coaching session for rubric-based feedback, using the rubric we provide — required to earn and maintain your listing
Optional Support Resources
90 Days Paid Client Guarantee
Twice, monthly Q&As with Sean
Weekly accountablity calls with the community lessons.
What To Do After Each Class
Watch the class / replay if needed
Complete the quiz
Post your takeaway or insight
Comment on one other person's post
Timing & Flexibility
You do not need to finish every optional item right away
If you need extra time, we will communicate clearly about deadlines
If anything is missing, we will let you know before it affects certification or directory approval
We're Here to Help
Technical & Subject Matter Support
Community Group
Post questions to the Skool community group and engage with fellow coaches in the program
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