The first of two documents designed to train paraprofessionals to work with mildly handicapped students in mainstreamed settings presents information on preservice and inservice education. Four chapters discuss the follwing preservice topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): the teacher (forming a good working relationship); the students (the labeling process, prejudice, standardized tests, legal rights of the handicapped, mainstreaming); the school (the educational team, confidentiality, school personnel); and the instructional process (program planning). Six units cover the following inservice topics (sample subtopics in paretheses): assessment (formal and informal methods); long-range objectives; short-range objectives (task analysis, chaining); instructional strategies (decreasing inappropriate behaviors, establishing new behaviors, rewarding behavior); lesson planning (common parts of lesson plans, classroom organization); and lesson evaluation (ongoing evaluation, self evaluation). (CL)