What EPs think about Executive Functions: Connecting into Practice
Educational Psychologist CPD
If you were to recommend Executive Functions: Connecting into Practice as a CPD course to another EP, how would you summarise it to them?
I would emphasise that it is a comprehensive course with practical suggestions in relation to assessment and intervention that can be applied at the individual and group level. I have a better understanding of EF skills, how to identify them and how to begin working with children, schools and families in relation to improving them. There was a strong empirical element and the presentation was clear and easy to follow. I have already mentioned to a colleague that the style of presenting and the minimalist screens and background (even to the way information is displayed in handouts) were helpful for my weak EF skills. Rebecca's passion for this are and her diligence in research rubs off and I feel enthused about trying out ideas in my future casework.
Great guide to assessment, formulation and sharing understanding with others, as well as strategies for intervention at differing levels, and delivered by experts in their fields.
A course that develops EPs knowledge and understanding of EF's but also how to translate and use this for effective interventions at individual child, parent, whole class and systemic levels. Not to forget becoming more aware of my own EF strengths and weaknesses.
A very practical course, which marries up theory and practice well. Something that you don't have to do all in one go, but which makes sense quickly when you pick up again.
An amazing course that will help you focus on EF across all aspects of CYP functioning and reframing difficulties within the home and school.
Professional, practical, helpful!
Being a helpful course which describes the importance of Executive functioning and how it affects learning.
In depth learning, allowing you to go at your own pace.
Overview of the definition, range and support interventions/approaches of EF.
You don't know what you don't know!
A thorough and highly knowledgeable training. Very accessible and I love how it's broken into short segments you can return to.
An excellent informative course that covers a wide spectrum of features related to EF and practical application for an EP.
An excellent course that provides a comprehensive overview of understanding, recognising and meeting the needs of CYP with EF differences.
Very useful course which provides knowledge about identification, impact and resources. Well paced and easy to understand. Set out into easy units so that you can do it in short spaces of time to fit into a busy life.
A wonderful course with brilliant guest speakers to develop understanding of EF challenges, how to assess them and how to work with schools to intervene.
A really effective and user friendly course that I could access at my own pace. It helped me to understand EF better. The content on assessment, formulation and interventions was especially helpful for my work as an EP.
Great introduction to EF, with lots of discussion on every-day issues.
A very helpful course that compliments our holistic assessment of children.
An excellent deep dive into the subject and extremely practical.
This is a really informative and interesting course that provides lots of theory, resources and practical strategies to understand and support EF.
A useful guide to exactly what EF is, how it develops and how to approach casework regarding assessment and intervention.
A really comprehensive overview of what EFs are, how they impact on learning, how we can assess them and how to support them.
Exceptional value for money. Well laid out and extremely informative with a helpful balance of theory and practical advice.
Accessible, engaging, varied, and fascinating!
Practical, relevant , comprehensive, good theoretical underpinning, and useful links in with brain development.
A comprehensive course that covers the development, application and relevance of EF for learners and those involved in supporting them, as well as guidance on assessment, intervention and development of skills in a variety of contexts.
A focussed in-depth understanding around EF, its definition and functions and how this applies to assessment and casework. And perhaps more importantly how it sits within education and the classroom and provides children and young people with a set of skills invaluable to them in every aspect of their life.
An accessible, theory-driven, 'how to' course that supports Eps to understand EF and how they might be affecting the young people they work with, as well as offering practical strategies and advice that EPs can take back to their schools/clients.
A comprehensive and insightful look into what executive function is and how to have conversations about it. Carefully considering a range of assessment types and how to put interventions into practice in the classroom so that executive functioning skills can be further developed in children and young people and generalised beyond even the school context.
This course covers lots of useful technical information about EF's in an easily accessible way as well as guidance on assessment and intervention that sits perfectly within the EP role. The presenter had a good understanding of the EP role and the constraints within which we work.
An excellent detailed overview of the EF with some really comprehensive insights into assessment/identification of need and intervention. The training also offers the professional space to consider how they may effectively and meaningfully engage with the knowledge acquired to support CYP with EF needs.
An interesting and insightful guide to EF and related skills. Good examples of how this might fit into casework and thought provoking enough to have me reflect on my current practice.
A motivational and interesting course with a range of aspects covered in a variety of ways. Practical solutions, resources complimenting the theoretical background.
A comprehensive course about EF, identifying the different aspects of EF and providing helpful models and interviews with professionals in the area, including EPs.
This course looks at changing the viewpoint to help students and parents, who are stuck to find ways of improving learning.
An informative overview of EF difficulties in relation to assessment, intervention and formulation.
The missing piece of the jigsaw - in terms of understanding the barriers to engagement and learning which can go unnoticed or can be misinterpreted.
An excellent introduction to executive functions, their relevance to our role as EPs and how to use knowledge of EF to inform our interventions. It give you a whole new lens through which to view your casework.
As a great introduction to what EF functions are, how to identify a young person's strengths and areas to develop. Practical advice and strategies for support young people in developing their EF functions, along with an overview to some of the experts in the field.
The course provides an excellent overview of what EFs are, how to assess or gather information about EFs and possible interventions or strategies. Throughout Rebecca reflects on the implications for EPs which is helpful.
This is a course that would add value to what you as an EP have to offer schools in that you can play a pivotal role in supporting understanding and appreciation of accessing and demonstrating learning can be impacted by poor executive functioning, but how with support individual learners; whole class of learners can develop awareness of the barriers as well as what strategies they can use to enhance how they learn.
As an excellent course with a knowledgeable presenter who clearly links theory to practice. The course is run by an experienced EP who ensures that the content is directly relevant and applicable to the work of an EP. Loads of practical strategies and approaches to support assessment, formulation and shared intervention planning.
The course is very comprehensive. It is presented very well and very clearly. It was invaluable how the course moved from theory to practice and is specifically tailored to the work of EPs. The resources are invaluable. It is no nice to come away with concrete resources and materials to use in my work tomorrow as well as a range and depth of resources to access at a later date.
Essential CPD with content relevant for all areas of EP practise!
Comprehensive exploration of EF with a diverse range of expert professionals.
Very clear and accessible, wide range of resources to follow up on, well paced.
Very interesting and helpful overview of theory, research and interventions around executive functioning and how these difficulties can be identified and supported.
A hugely relevant, informative and interesting course, that you can carry out online and at your own pace, with lots of helpful resources and signposts.
Excellent course, thoroughly researched and well presented with great supporting documents, interviews from experts and plenty resources to share with teachers. Highly recommended.
It is a very good, detailed and thorough course split into sections. Enables you to come and go instead of doing it all in one go. Lots of learning, practical resources and food for thought.
An incredibly worth while training course that leaves you feeling more knowledgeable and confident in supporting our schools with EF skills. 10/10.
It is a comprehensive training a out EF, which gives practice ideas on how to assess, report EF and how to plan and review interventions, helping pupils to achieve their potential.
A fully comprehensive deep dive into all aspects of EF, with specific reference to EP practice in many forms.
A thorough and comprehensive course looking at developmental neuroscience, assessment and interventions to support EF in children and young people.
A broad overview of the models of EF and what we as EPs should consider at each step (assess, (formulate), plan, do, review).
In depth and detailed but easily accessible and inherently applicable.
Useful, informative and at your own pace.
Engaging, thought-provoking and evidence based.
A really helpful and practical guide to how EPs can work to support EF.
Fantastic in-depth and extremely useful!
Thorough. Practical. Clear. Well structured. Immediately operational.
I definitely would! The course takes you through a full cycle of exploring and supporting EF skills, with new ideas and strategies as well as moments to reflect on you current application and knowledge.
Excellent framework for understanding the theory/research and practical application of EF for cyp within the context of school, and supporting their parents/carers/school staff at individual and whole class level.
It is a comprehensive training a out EF, which gives practice ideas on how to assess, report EF and how to plan and review interventions, helping pupils to achieve their potential.
EF: Connecting Into Practice course provides a fantastic CPD opportunity to develop your understanding of EF, its impact in the classroom and ways to support EF development from EY to teens. It provides practical ideas for how we can apply this knowledge in EP practice. It is rare to find courses targeted specifically for UK EPs, where the trainer really understands the work we do and barriers that exist in our day-to-day practice. As an online course it was easy to fit into the time I had available over a few weeks. It provides a wealth of additional resources and links to refer back to and that can used directly in casework too. Dr Ashton was excellent and kept me engaged throughout - thank you.
What has been the greatest benefit of Executive Functions: Connecting into Practice for supporting you in your work?
The whole framework and the suggested interventions (especially liked the co-regulation, containments and tuning- in connections) - sorry two greatest benefits!
Further developing my understanding of EFs and how they can be supported within schools and how parents can also be involved in these conversations.
How to go about assessing EF difficulties in a comprehensive way. Also linking EF difficulties to effective interventions at home and at school.
Consolidating my knowledge, giving me a fascinating area to focus on for CPD, and enabling me to feel confident in this area which is pertinent to so many areas of our practice.
Good understanding of what EF is and the taxonomies, alongside strategies and ideas to build upon EF skills.
It has helped to crystallise my thinking and ensure that EFS is an area of consideration in my work with children and young people, but also staff and parents.
Understanding how to communicate EF difficulties to teachers.
How to help staff understand EF's - converting from a psychological language to classroom practice.
Reflecting on intervention at individual/group/class/family level.
Understanding the impact on everyday function/learning and the pros and cons of different assessment tools.
Widening my knowledge of appropriate resources - I now need to make time to revisit them so they are not forgotten about.
Direct relevance in relation to the work I undertake - I will frequently be dipping into all the ideas and resources.
The interviews were really illuminating when thinking about the different ways of supporting children and YP to develop their EF skills. Gaining knowledge- it was presented in an accessible way and this will support me in explaining EF to others' myself. All the links and summary documents will help me with ongoing reflection on key learning points.
Helping me become more aware of what EF actually is and all it encompasses. IT supported me in realising how widely encompassing these skills are and thusly how big of an impact they can have for individuals experiencing difficulty in one or more area of EF. It's given me some useful strategies for intervention and informal assessment to take away and try with teachers but primarily it's helped me generate seeds of ideas for my future practice that I'm hoping will take root over time.
So far it has been being able to make more sense of a complex EHCP assessment. I have also reflected on a couple of children I worked with in the past and can see why they had difficulties. Thinking about their presentation and the EF knowledge I can be more effective in the future.
It was good to gain an understanding of the development of EF skills so that I am able to link it with holistic information relating to a child's development.
Application with casework on multiple levels.
It has been reassuring that I am doing some of things that have been mentioned. It has also highlighted other areas that I wish to explore in more detail.
Giving me a different perspective and more knowledge about EF.
Stimulation of novel thinking in an area that generalises across casework and systemic work.
The model/framework and assessment approaches / tools and formulation process.
The taxonomies have been very helpful as a way to further break down EF skills. Previously I would focus on information gathered in BRIEF or through cognitive assessment (e.g. working memory) but I think I will be able to be more specific about difficulties which will help inform discussions with schools about interventions.
I have found the visual explanations of models really helpful. Providing strategy ideas within a framework (to support different aspects of EF) is very helpful. And i liked the triangle model of considering more foundational supports first (like within Maslow's hierarchy). So rather than identifying an EF gap and suggesting a direct intervention - re-focusing on the building blocks of development like sleep, diet and exercise.
It has re-sparked an interest in EFs and a desire to talk more confidently about them in my practice; I'd love to co-develop/deliver a training programme for teachers with follow up support (such as the Activated Learning approach by Laurie Faith) - particularly relevant in current private practice with some high achieving independent schools.
Really clear understanding of EF, helped me see the wood for the trees and helped me bring together my strands of knowledge into something coherent.
Consolidated previous knowledge and extended expertise.
Looking at the different layers and thinking of EFs in new ways. Also thinking about the different levels of intervention and how to support.
Looking at the different approaches with regards to the assessment and also ideas for strategies on both an individual and group contexts.
Lots! Thinking more about EFs in my assessments and formulations, with particular regard to how to assess EFs through a range of tools to triangulate information gathered.
Exploration of coaching with EF from the interview with Peg Dawson. This has prompted me to be more creative in how we offer EF support.
Theoretical knowledge to know what is developmentally appropriate and ways of explaining it to non-psychologists.
All of it! Loved how it was set out and given me a lot of food for thought.
Better awareness when considering a case/hypothesising e.g. behavioural presentations.
It has refreshed my knowledge in this area and it has given me some good ideas on how to explain EF to the individuals I work with e.g. young people, parents and staff. It has left me with a great collection of resources and it's brilliant that it's possible to go back and look at key modules when needed.
Consolidating my understanding and, given that there is so much out there, feeling more confident that I've not missed something important - so great to have something aimed at EPs. It has also brought EFs back as a priority for me - it comes up so much in work with schools, and the course has reignited my motivation to share this at a more systemic level with schools.
The overview of the assessments and interventions, and linking it to the research / evidence base. Thinking about the developmental aspect. Learning about the building blocks and about how the foundations of warmth and attachment can have such an impact in the early years, and communication in the teenage years.
I think the vast array of topics within EF that were covered. I also really enjoyed the professional discussions that took place within the training. There were based in theory but also reflexive on practice challenges which I appreciated.
I have really enjoyed the chapters on brain development. The course has inspired and motivated me to explore pupils learning in a different way with teachers.
Difficult to identify a single benefit. I need to reflect on the notes which I have made, the resources and tools provided, and and the breadth of the topics covered throughout the course to identify the next steps for me as a practitioner.
Practical ways of assessing EF and also the practical applications of then teaching the EF functions.
I thought the Peg Dawson & Laurie Faith interviews were brilliant with excellent questions from Rebecca - really inspiring.
I like your hands on strategies and the models that enable me to better explain EF difficulties.
A clear overview of the skills that are linked to executive function. I liked the metaphors of air traffic control and conductor for helping explain EF to others.
Having a comprehensive understanding; listening to a range of professionals; applications to the EP role throughout.
Understanding EF better and looking at taxonomies plus the practical ideas. I had put together my own set of guides from Harvard videos etc but I can now update these with much more information.
Helping me to tie up the emotional regulation / attachment work with cognitive development work.
I liked the Pyramid concept encouraging us to consider wider factors before jumping into specific EF interventions. Loved the idea of socially shared learning!
Theory and real life things to try, as well as helping me pull it all together when generating hypotheses.
Extended time to think about this area in more detail, and increasing my own confidence in talking about the topic to teachers and parents (and pupils!).
Time to reflect on my own practice, prompted by an excellent presentation.
The concept of developing a learner's, in fact a whole class approach to developing metacognition - the delight in being part of this process.
Refreshing knowledge, learning more re assessment and intervention.
Understanding how new theories and resources relate to and can enhance existing practice.
Frameworks for formulation, understanding and recomending.
It has refreshed my previous knowledge of EF skills and added to my knowledge base! It has given me a new lease of energy to focus more of my attention to assessing and supporting EF skills within my case work and relationships with my schools.
I found the course extremely validating of the work I have been doing already - it's great to hear from other EPs that this is also how they are working. I loved the expert interviews and the new perspectives gained from them. The links to practical resources are also extremely beneficial, as well as the review of the evidence behind various programmes and resources.
Bringing together an understanding of difficulties encompassing SEMH needs as well as cognition and learning needs. I found the intervention hierarchy particularly useful and the grounded approach through social learning and consultation positive.
Wider knowledge of EF, taxonomies and thinking about interventions.
Co-constructing plans with children.
Thinking about ways to talk to parents and teachers about EF.
The areas on formulating and hierarchy of interventions.
Raising awareness of the possible interventions. The expert interviews were very helpful. Clear explanations in modules and associated resources very useful.
Understanding of assessment for EF skills, developed my use of the BADS.
Other thoughts or feedback or share...?
I really enjoyed this course - the presentation was superb; the interviews were fascinating with every point a gem; the time to think and reflect appreciated; the downloads and links incredibly helpful; and being online I could a) pause to note each gem! and b) do at a time when optimal for best learning for me. I have a number of ongoing cases where all this will be invaluable for best outcomes for the cyp and their parent/carers/school staff - they will be excited by all this and the links to give them for their further learning etc I'm sure will be appreciated by them too.
Thank you Rebecca so much.
Another really excellent course, thank you so much Rebecca! I thoroughly enjoyed this and have learnt a lot that will contribute to my practice. It is so refreshing and exciting to have CPD that will directly improve the work that I do with children, families and schools.
Your cognition and learning courses have been the most informed and helpful CPD I have undertaken in this area. Keep them coming :)
Thank you so much. I also loved the personal touch that Rebecca offered, sharing her own opinions, feelings and experiences regarding EF work. It was so nice when Rebecca kept bringing the course back to how we work on the ground as EPs. So relatable and relevant.
Thank you so much Rebecca. An incredibly comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyable course which has really moved on my understanding and the range of interventions possible at different systems levels. The interviews with the guests were very informative and you made it very relevant to EP's. Thank you for emphasising the research throughout the course and the degree of evidence base behind the published interventions mentioned.
I was really looking forward to this course and I was not disappointed. I think it was well put together and provides high quality and detailed CPD for EPs. I am keen to explore other courses from EdPsychEd that may be available too.
Many thanks for an enjoyable course. The bitesize module format was highly accessible. Resources and signposting as well as expert interviews very helpful.
Thank you Rebecca. I feel I will need to revisit many aspects of the material again when I need it. It is good to know I can access the content for a year - helpful in terms of embedding knowledge, skills and resources.
Thanks Rebecca and EdPsychEd team. An excellent course - and good to be able to go back to the content. I think it took me a few months to complete trying to find space in my diary.
The actual interface was perfect for me- super easy to use, to track progress, switch between chapters etc. I'm so used to clunky IT working for a LA so this was so refreshing! It enabled me to focus 100% on the course content.
I really enjoyed the course and as we have completed it as a psychology service I hope we have plans on how to implement it strategically across the schools we support.
Thank you for spending your time to help us learn more about EF skills and to feel confident about putting this new knowledge into practice.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the course. Rebecca presented it very well and I liked the opportunity to dip in and out of the chapters.
No - other than to say thank you! An online course like this allows time for reflection, perusal of the resources and references to help embed for use in practice.
A comprehensive and very useful course. I can take lots from it and put them into my day to day practice, thank you.
Thank you. It was a really enjoyable, thought-provoking learning experience.
Thank you so much - another great course from EdPsychEd - so grateful for these resources.
Simply thank you for all the time and effort that clearly has gone into the development of the course.
Thank you. Really enjoyed the training and I'm looking forward to using it in practice.
Well done! This has taken a lot of work to put together, and its definitely the best online course I've ever done!
Many thanks for an extremely informative, valuable, and a highly enjoyable course.
Very comprehensive from theory and practical advice. I like the concept of socially shared approach a lot. Children can be empowered when they can share their strategies to others.
Thank you very much for an amazing course. I'll make sure that the additional resources provided are put to good use.
Fabulous course, relevant and interesting.
I'm looking forward to joining the supervision group in the new year to build on this learning.
Great course. Thoroughly enjoyed it and gave me lots of food for thought!
Thank you for this useful and practical training course. I particularly enjoyed thinking about EF at the various levels EPs work and how we might support children and young people at various levels of the system. It was particularly useful to consider whole class 'in the moment' interventions as schools are increasingly struggling with budgets meaning less individual work or additional adult support in the classroom. Much of my work is done through a trauma informed lens, and some of the discussion reminded me that I have permission to focus on a child's world outside of school too.
I really enjoyed this course for a number of reasons - it is very comprehensive, informative and really well presented. It moves seamlessly from theory to practice in relation to assessment and working with teachers/parents/students. The work with students refers to coaching strategies as well as whole class coaching/discussions about meta-cognitive strategies. Finally, the interviews with guests added an extra dimension to the course as presenters discussed practice. I would highly recommend this course to colleagues.
The course is very comprehensive. It is presented very well and very clearly. It was invaluable how the course moved from theory to practice and is specifically tailored to the work of EPs. The resources are invaluable. It is no nice to come away with concrete resources and materials to use in my work tomorrow as well as a range and depth of resources to access at a later date. I will need to revisit aspects of the course to further deepen my knowledge and understanding. I enjoyed the interviews with other experts in the field – it enriched the course in many ways. Thank you Rebecca.
Very interesting and helpful course. Has given me lots to think about and apply in my practice. The format of the short chapters was really helpful. I would recommend to others.
I found the content of the course very useful. The way it was divided into sections was helpful to me as I usually have only limited time for CPD in the course of the week.
I just wanted to say what a professional, well-paced, comprehensive training programme this was…. I will certainly be recommending it to colleagues…. thank you.
It covered such a lot all in one course! Thank you.
Thank you very much for delivering this fantastic training.
Thank you so much, this was a fantastic course.
Thank you for a very comprehensive and inspiring course. It was clearly presented, with excellent resources to use immediately and refer back to for further depth of understanding. The interviews with other professionals in the field were fascinating and great to hear about theory in practice. I would recommend this course to colleagues.
Thank you for such a helpful addition to our training . I took the course without any preconceptions and it has helped me to formulate my thinking into a structure which I know will be extremely helpful in future practice. I am also very pleased that it has taken me nearly a year to complete because in between modules I have been able to reflect and process the information and even to start to use it as I went along. Rebecca you have explained everything so clearly. Well done!!
Thank you for such an interesting course. Lots of valuable information to use for my practice from formulation, assessment to interventions. Great to have such a bank of resources. Really enjoyed the interviews also. I'm looking forward to embedding this in my work with schools (and for myself!). Definitely would recommend this course to others. Thanks.
I really enjoyed the section that included the classroom observation videos and found this to be a helpful way of applying what I was learning during the course.
Thank you for all the consideration that has gone into ensuring this is a useful, well presented course.
I like that the training is split into chapters and also having access to it for a year. I know that I will need to come back and check things out and re-listen.
Fascinating course- have learnt a lot. Makes everything much more explicit. Will help a lot in my work. Thank you.
I really enjoyed this training. I found it very comprehensive and well put together and look forward to applying it in my professional practice. Thanks Rebecca.
Thank you for enabling access to an excellent course, very helpful to the work I do.
I found the training to be very comprehensive and practical. I am hoping to dedicate further CPD time to delving into all the research recommended and the practical resources. It may be interesting to explore EF skills specifically in children who have experienced developmental trauma, as their challenges appear to be significant.
Thank you for such a useful course, I have found it not only interesting but it has helped me to reflect on my practice. There have been some great resources, which I have started to use and some useful links to other materials.
Thank you Rebecca for such a thorough and comprehensive course with so many useful references and signposts to resources/materials as well as interesting speakers to listen to. It has provided me with ample opportunity to reflect upon my practice in general as well as Executive Function in particular. Thank you.
The final chapters about intervention and application were particularly useful and the way interviews were used to share information was excellent. Thank you.
I very much enjoyed your training programme Rebecca - thank you. I look forward to using lots of the ideas discussed to inspire and help children / staff / parents.
I felt the course was well-structured and provided interesting insights from a range of professionals.
Thank you Rebecca, great course!
Great course. Very glad to have the opportunity to complete it. Thank you Rebecca I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
Really thorough and useful training. Thank you.
It would be helpful to talk about EF in teacher training. I don't know how much knowledge the average teacher has of EF.
I enjoyed the interviews with key figures such as Peg Dawson and Laurie Faith - I hope to have time to re-watch those. I found Laurie's socially shared approach really interesting - I think it has a lot of scope for broad application in classrooms.
Thank you for a well researched course with heaps of follow up work for me to do and presenting it in a very direct format.
Thank you for such a wonderfully well produced course. It has given me an up-to-date basis in the neurological foundations and definitions of executive functioning and how it applies to children and young people. It particularly chimes with the way I like to work and now I have the well referenced evidence to support what I like to do. I am definitely going to extend the use of Specific Learning Differences to EF skills now. I must also congratulate you on the way you have applied your knowledge of learning to the excellent presentation skills, which embody the best of teaching.
