In an episode from the TV show Parenthood (season 1, episode 2), the characters Adam and Kristina Braverman have come to realize that there's something seriously wrong with their son. The current problem involves Max's refusal to dress in anything but a pirate costume. Adam, afraid that his son will get ridiculed at school, gets increasingly exasperated by Max's stubbornness. In another scene, Adam struggles to get Max to eat his meal (Max is very particular about his diet), going so far as to barter with him: bites of food for minutes of TV time. The tactic backfires, and the parental aggravation is evident. Adam and Kristina lie awake at night, unable to sleep as they worry about Max's future.

In a later scene the Braverman's have an appointment with the highly sought-after child psychologist Dr. Pelikan. When the doctor informs Adam and Kristina that Max's behavior is indeed consistent with an Asperger's diagnosis, they look like they've been hit in the face, and the following conversation ensues:

Adam: "How long is this going to take, then? To get him through this and back on track?"

Dr. Pelikan: "Unfortunately there is no cure for Asperger's. It is a syndrome that he will always have."

Adam: "I don't understand."

Christina: "What are we supposed to do for him? I don't know …"

Adam [clearly irritated]: "So just in case we can never see you again, what do you suggest we do to get him out of the pirate costume?"

Dr. Pelikan: "The first step is not to wrench Max out of his comfort zone; the first step is to join Max where he is. And when he's ready, you walk him into the world."

Adam, looking shell-shocked and scared, puts an arm around a heartsick Kristina, and we go to commercial. Later Adam confesses, "Kristina, I just, I don't … I can deal with anything, I can deal with disease, with illness, with a broken bone; give me something I can fix. But I don't know how to deal with this. This is for life."

Finally, after all his pressure, demands, and bargains have failed to change Max's behavior, Adam decides to try Dr. Pelikan's advice: he enters Max's world by dressing up as a pirate. In the final scene (available on youtube), Adam, dressed just like his son the pirate, plays a game of Pirate sword-fighting with his son. Father and son dash around in the backyard, both of them clearly delighted to be with each other.