The paraprofessional's level of experience when entering an inclusion program influences the training program. For new paraprofessionals the school district provides basic information training on the policies and procedures of the school district, new employee orientation and information on the role of the paraprofessional. While the inclusion special education teacher is responsible to the school district for supervising the paraprofessional, it is critical that the classroom teacher, special education teacher and related service staff collaborate and share supervision and training responsibilities.

The paraprofessional staff inservice training is similar to that of community center staff. Paraprofessionals should be individual in all joint inservice training activities. Different topics are presented through inservices, informational videotapes and handouts. Those topic include inclusion philosophy, basic instructional procedures, first aid and infection control, the community program's policies and procedures, individual educational programs, strategies for implementing and monitoring objectives, and techniques for full inclusion of a child. Another important area is child specific skills such as positioning and handling techniques, feeding skills training, behavior management strategies, range of motion, and augmentative communication systems. Videotaping of the paraprofessional while working with the child is useful when the focus is on training a specific skill, obtaining information about the child's responses, and providing feedback regarding paraprofessional skill development. Ongoing opportunities for both general and child specific training should be provided.