Perhaps a mechanism like this could identify aphantasia in early childhood and use this to provide a more optimized academic pipeline.
When programming, I have the code "mapped out" around me but likewise not optically but more "intuitively". I might be able to tell you in which direction a given piece of logic exists relative to me but it's more like how you can gauge what direction a sound comes from than having an image in my head that would allow me to tell you a specific place or distance. Note that I use sound to describe this but I don't have particularly exceptional hearing as far as I'm aware (e.g. no musical skills whatsoever).
I suppose I should also add that I don't have an "inner monologue". In fact I always thought references to the "voice in your head" were entirely metaphorical. This often makes it hard for me to explain my thoughts as I first need to try to find the right words to put them in language.
But in general I think it would be like optimizing academic pipelines for being left-handed.
Trickier problems involving several shapes like a puzzle might be harder, though that's not usually curriculum.