Neil, a high school student with a high-functioning ASD, has a specific interest in astronomy but displays poor social skills when interacting with peers. A vocational aptitude test conducted by his guidance counselor indicates that Neil performed well on the numerical and verbal sections but did poorly on the problem-solving and critical-thinking components of the test. Neil's parents want to know the implication of the scores during the next transition planning meeting. Which of the following explanations is the special education teacher most likely to give Neil's parents?