Intelligence and Academic Success Among Children with Disabilities: Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, Educational Challenges in Kinshasa

This book analyzes the links between intelligence, disability, and academic success among children with autism or intellectual disabilities in Kinshasa. Based on a study of 105 students, it shows that cognitive abilities alone are not sufficient to explain academic performance. Intelligence is viewed as a complex process involving reasoning, attention, memory, perception, cognitive flexibility, and adaptation. The results reveal a wide variety of profiles: some children with higher intellectual abilities do not necessarily achieve the best academic results, while others make progress thanks to instruction better tailored to their needs. The book thus highlights the decisive role of the educational environment, teaching methods, assessment, and support. It advocates for an inclusive school system capable of recognizing limitations without reducing a child to their diagnosis, and above all, of creating the conditions that allow each student to truly develop their potential.