Dr. Tim Buie

Walt Campbell with Dr. Buie August 2023

I have been focused on caring for individuals with Autism since 1998. Walter is an old friend who has been in my practice these many years. I have known him since he was 7 and have watched him grow into a phenomenal young man.

Dr. Tim Buie receiving Attending of the Year A

Melissa Musser was a GI Fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital when she presented Dr. Tim Buie with the Attending of the Year award at the Harvard Medical School Fellowship Graduation dinner. She is now an accomplished attending at BCH.

Boston Children’s Hospital has recently appointed me as Co-Director of the GI-Autism Clinic

“Managing Medical Issues in Autism” accredited on-demand video courses are featured on the Boston Children’s Hospital Continuing Education website and available here

Managing Medical Issues in Autism is a series of five independent video courses that explores the relationship between autism and gastroenterology/nutrition, and the challenges of communicating pain and illness for individuals with autism. As the developer and course director of this video series, I am also one of the presenters. Use these discount codes when registering: mmia1x5 for individual courses or mmia5 for the 5-course bundle.

New Hot Topic: I wanted to post a Hot Topic that may be more of a simmering issue for those with autism who have lived with medical problems over the years: How can we improve clinical care during office visits?  This topic is discussed in an article I co-authored with Dr. Kara Margolis, Director of the NYU Pain Research Center entitled “Considerations for Treating Autistic Individuals in Gastroenterology Clinics,” which was recently published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology journal.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, the Office for External Education at Harvard Medical School (HMS) has introduced a valuable resource for the adult autism community: Adult Autism Health Resources www.adult-autism.health.harvard.edu. I am featured on the home page of this resource website in a two-minute video talking about the important role caregivers provide with a link to an article on “Common Gastrointestinal Conditions” in people with autism.

Just published: Comparing Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Findings in Children with Autism, Developmental Delay or Typical Development
I am so pleased to let everyone know about a recent article in the Journal of Pediatrics featuring the largest published endoscopy study in autism and a comparative review of its findings.

Recently Published: Recommendations for the Management of Diarrhea with Trofinetide use in Rett Syndrome provided by medical specialists
"Recommendations for the Management of Diarrhea with Trofinetide use in Rett Syndrome" was recently published in the journal Expert Opinion on Orphan Drugs, and I was pleased to participate as one of the authors.

New Study Supports BRAVO pH Probe Testing in Children with Autism
My thanks to Leonel Rodriguez, chief of pediatric gastroenterology, Yale Medicine, for shepherding this paper on Evaluation of Gastroesophageal Reflux ...

An effective tool “Characteristics of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Gastrointestinal and Related Behaviors Inventory in Children” featured in the Autism Journal is available to download.

Welcome

I am Dr. Tim Buie, the Co-Director of the GI-Autism Clinic and Senior Physician in the Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Hepatology department at Boston Children’s Hospital I am also an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. I’ve been in this ever-changing field of medicine for the past 37 years.

When I did my Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Yale University School of Medicine, it was a new specialty growing out of the need to address medical issues in infants through adolescents who are experiencing gastrointestinal issues. I was fortunate to train with the pioneers of pediatric gastroenterology, which includes my mentor Dr. Joyce Graboski.

I must be pretty old, you might be thinking, but I don’t consider myself ancient. My training in medicine started at the age of 18 in a unique 6-year medical program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.

Once again, I was lucky enough to be trained by the best teachers who prepared me for my residency at Bridgeport Hospital/Yale University in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, which is a specialty to provide whole-life care.

There is more about my training and what I have achieved over the years in my Bio along with a list of my published research articles offering viewable abstracts.

I invite you to explore this website and use the information and tools provided. Scroll down this page and view a two-page Pediatric Screening Form for Common GI Disorders, which you can download for free.

There’s also a section called Hot Topic, which will review current questions that are being researched.

Welcome

I am Dr. Tim Buie, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. I’ve been in this ever-changing field of medicine for the past 30 years.

When I did my Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Yale University School of Medicine, it was a new specialty growing out of the need to address medical issues in infants through adolescents who are experiencing gastrointestinal issues. I was fortunate to train with the pioneers of pediatric gastroenterology, which includes my mentor Dr. Joyce Graboski.

I must be pretty old, you might be thinking, but I don’t consider myself ancient. My training in medicine started at the age of 18 in a unique 6-year medical program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Once again, I was lucky enough to be trained by the best teachers who prepared me for my residency at Bridgeport Hospital/Yale University in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, which is a specialty to provide whole-life care.

There is more about my training and what I have achieved over the years in my Bio along with a list of my published research articles offering viewable abstracts.

I invite you to explore this website and use the information and tools provided. Scroll down this page and view a two-page Pediatric Screening Form for Common GI Disorders, which you can download for free.

There’s also a section called Hot Topic, which will review current questions that are being researched.

What can this Web site do for you? 

First of all, I’ll tell you what I cannot do: I cannot book appointments or provide individual medical advice. Should you wish to contact the Pediatric Gastroenterology department at Boston Children’s Hospital to schedule an appointment, you can request an appointment online by clicking here.

I can offer you information that relies on solid research or what has worked clinically with patients.

I can provide perhaps new ways of approaching a child experiencing GI issues that may prove helpful on how you work with your pediatrician or specialist.

Although my specialty is with individuals with autism who are dealing with GI symptoms and identified conditions, a lot of information can be applied to the medical management of all children with GI problems.  

PediGi
PediGi

Videos There is a list of links to 3-minute videos on a range of topics you can view entitled “Office Hours with GI Specialist Dr. Tim Buie.” This online video series was co-produced with Autism Speaks and offers a glimpse of what it’s like to be in one of my patient clinics. The videos have been widely viewed worldwide and are now all available to you HERE

What’s available now on the Web site: Videos for viewing

PediGi

For parents, caregivers and healthcare providers to quickly complete, the Autism Treatment Network GI Signs & Symptoms Inventory-17 (ATN-GISSI-17) is a two-page form that can be used to determine if a child has GI issues, which should be further reviewed by a specialist. To learn more about how this screening form was developed, please view in my Bio page the abstract for the articleDevelopment of a Brief Parent-Report Screen for Common Gastrointestinal Disorders in Autism Spectrum Disorder published in the Journal of Autism.

Download a Brief Parent Form to Screen for Common Gi Disorders

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In the article “Considerations for Treating Autistic Individuals in Gastroenterology Clinics,” Dr. Kara Margolis, Director of the NYU Pain Research Center and I outline what a healthcare provider should review with the patient during a clinic visit including: diet, over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements, and changes in the individual’s living environment among other questions. Having worked with this population for many years, we offer guidelines on planning a visit to the clinic that can help minimize a patient’s anxiety using visual schedules and social stories that may include pictures of the clinic and the staff. The article is free to download from The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology website with email registration. View abstract

See the latest Hot Topic here. We research answers to important questions.

PediGi

Videos There is a list of links to 3-minute videos on a range of topics you can view entitled “Office Hours with GI Specialist Dr. Tim Buie.” This online video series was co-produced with Autism Speaks and offers a glimpse of what it’s like to be in one of my patient clinics. The videos have been widely viewed worldwide and are now all available to you HERE

What’s available now on the Web site: Videos for viewing

PediGi

For parents, caregivers and healthcare providers to quickly complete, the Autism Treatment Network GI Signs & Symptoms Inventory-17 (ATN-GISSI-17) is a two-page form that can be used to determine if a child has GI issues, which should be further reviewed by a specialist. To learn more about how this screening form was developed, please view in my Bio page the abstract for the articleDevelopment of a Brief Parent-Report Screen for Common Gastrointestinal Disorders in Autism Spectrum Disorder published in the Journal of Autism.

Download a Brief Parent Form to Screen for Common Gi Disorders

00

In the article “Considerations for Treating Autistic Individuals in Gastroenterology Clinics,” Dr. Kara Margolis, Director of the NYU Pain Research Center and I outline what a healthcare provider should review with the patient during a clinic visit including: diet, over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements, and changes in the individual’s living environment among other questions. Having worked with this population for many years, we offer guidelines on planning a visit to the clinic that can help minimize a patient’s anxiety using visual schedules and social stories that may include pictures of the clinic and the staff. The article is free to download from The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology website with email registration. View abstract

See the latest Hot Topic here. We research answers to important questions.

My Mission

"Children with autism suffering physical distress are often unable to verbalize. So, kids may exhibit problem behaviors that express pain and discomfort caused by medical issues. For over 25 years, I have worked to care for these children by helping to diagnose medical conditions and provide treatment. I have also worked to educate families, caregivers and the medical community throughout the world to look at behavior as a way individuals with autism are communicating to us how they physically feel."—Dr. Tim Buie

Stay informed about new research, blog postings and events by reviewing Dr. Buie’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DrTimBuie