Email  |  Print

Denis W. Keyes, PhD

Dr. Denis Keyes is a Professor of Special Education in the Department of Teacher Education at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. His Bachelor of Science is from the Ohio University in Special Education.
He also holds a Master of Education in Special Education, a Master of Science and an Educational Specialist Degree in School Psychology from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. He was awarded his Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education from the University of New Mexico in May, 1992, with emphasis in intellectual developmental disabilities. His doctoral program was directed by his teacher and mentor, Professor Ruth Luckasson.

Starting out as a teacher assistant, Dr. Keyes has worked in the field of special education (primarily intellectual developmental disabilities) since 1974. He taught in classrooms for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities for nearly 10 years. He has been a certified special education teacher since 1979, a school psychologist since 1988, and became Nationally Certified (through the National Association of School Psychologists) in 1989. Dr. Keyes is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Examiners. He has authored and co-authored several articles and numerous presentations dealing with issues of intellectual disabilities and criminal justice, particularly death penalty cases.

Dr. Keyes has consulted and testified for legal protection and advocacy agencies, particularly in the areas of intellectual disabilities, special education and the criminal justice system. Since 1988, he has been active in evaluating and testifying in cases involving offenders on Death Row with intellectual developmental disabilities. A 1997 article on which Dr. Keyes was lead author, was cited by the United States Supreme Court in the majority opinion for the landmark 2002 decision in Atkins v. Virginia. As such, Dr. Keyes gladly offers training presentations on the characteristics and nuances of intellectual disabilities in criminal situations (pro bono) for clinicians, law enforcement, and for members of both sides of the bar.