To me, special needs aren't about being exceptional or not. Read carefully, as I did account for "normal kid behaving mediocre" in my last comment. Think, "It's a behavior that requires a different strategy from normal." Hence "special" needs.

Sure, there are tons of unmotivated people. Sure, it's not everybody you can motivate. But the responsibility lies with the teacher first, not the student.

It's their job to find the approach to such students. I think it's unfair to judge a kid's behaviour without looking at the adults around them first.