I like to see that the general understanding of Avery seems to be that guy who's silly and funny but not stupid; attuned to his feelings to a fault with a strong sense of sympathy and compassion (dare I say even empathy), and a hands-on person rather than a thinker.
Even so, it's easy to see people like him being cast aside and undermined in the real world for not being 'smart' the way it'd be expected of him, and I see that manifesting in the Church section, where he needs a little push to remind himself that he's capable, after reading words that surely aimed to hurt his self perception.
I see that manifesting in the Orchards, where he felt absolutely hopeless and begged for signs, because he didn't realize the ones right in front of him. And honestly, I didn't either. I wouldn't blame him.
But he blames himself for not being as 'smart' as Derlord, even though he pushed himself to go all the way back to the last gate after being tricked out of sheer determination. Even if it takes a bit for him to figure things out, he doesn't go down without a fight.
He's creative and finds his own ways of dealing with setbacks and issues (thinks of the netherite situation) and I think that's where his intelligence shows. Get stuff done his own way, no matter what. He's determined. And that's what I really love about him as a character.
