recent Esquire article about Georgia Senator Max Cleland chronicles the triple amputee's daily three-hour ordeal just to get ready for work. It's hard to imagine getting dressed or perparing a meal with only one hand. These are the kinds of tasks that occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) teach people with physical, emotional and mental disabilities, helping them become self-sufficent.

An OTA, working under the supervision of a registered occupational therapist, carries out treatment plans for patients with spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, brain trauma, muscular dystrophy and spina bifida, to name a few. OTAs help these people practice everyday tasks, like dressing, eating and bathing.

"We teach easier ways of doing things," said Lisa Carruth, director of occupational therapy at Northwestern Technical Institute. "What we teach may seem like common sense, but we teach ways of doing things that you might not normally think about."

Learning how to use specialized equipment makes life easier for many disabled people. For example, button-hook aids, zipper aids or tools that help locate hard-to-reach places make one-handed dressing much easier.

"Many patients can't get in and out of a tub or stand for any length of time for a shower," Carruth said. We'll teach them to how to bend over to reach their feet without losing their balance and how to use tools like shower seats, long-handled bathing sponges, bathing gloves and hand-held showers. We give patients routines that are easy to follow."

OTAs deal with all kinds and ages of peoplefrom children to the elderly. "It takes a student who likes people and also shows concern and compassion to succeed in the program," said Carruth. " . . . someone who wants to help others."

"It can be difficult to deal with patients who have exhausted your resources; you've tried everything, you start to doubt yourself. You realize we're not a cure-all and can't fix everything," Carruth said. "But the successes help you see, 'Hey, I'm really doing something here.'"

OTAs must complete an associate degree in occupational therapy with at least two months of supervised clinical experience before they can be licensed, which is required in Georgia. The twoyear program includes subjects like anatomy, basic and abnormal psychology and specialized courses in occupational therapy.

Depending on the area of practice, graduates start at about $25,000 per year, with higher salaries in the metro Atlanta area. And in Georgia, there's no problem finding a job.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK: 58 percent increase in the number of positions in Georgia by 2005.

SALARY: Starts at $25,000 (higher in Atlanta)

EMPLOYERS: Most OTAs work in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Others work in nursing homes, public health agencies, schools and home health agencies.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN GEORGIA: Northwestern Tech (formerly Walker Tech)