Sticking out tongue while focusing

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Hi everyone,

does anyone of you stick your tongue out while doing (manual) tasks? My bf (undiagnosed ASD) does this a lot. I noticed it while he was playing a game on PS4 which requires him to do very fast character movements/combos. He not only sticks his tongue out, but moves it a lot, very fast, at the same time he presses the buttons for doing combo. It looks very weird and never seen this in adults before. I don't think he's aware of it.

Anyone else does this?

Umm yes
A particular relative always says "you can put your tongue away" sort of jokingly when catching me doing this. I'm not aware of it when I'm doing it either. I apparently stick out the tip of my tongue and wiggle it up and down. It's usually associated with doing something requiring concentration but also something I enjoy, which seems like it's the same with your boyfriend. Interesting.

Yeah I do this, I did it a lot more as a kid though.

This is reaaaallllly common, although I'm not sure if it's specific to Asperger's or even the whole spectrum.
The long and short of it is that the gear in your brain you engage when you concentrate to a particular degree causes you to lose some control over another part of the brain that manages motor function.
Most common is some form of facial expression, but that's probably because there are more muscles on the face than anywhere else. I'd say it's more interesting than alarming and most likely everybody knows smeone who does it somewhat.

This is pretty common for non-autistic people too, especially children. I'm sure I read somewhere that whether you poke your tongue out to the left or to the right has some kind of pattern too - depending on the task, or whether you are left or right handed.

It is an ancestral throwback to when we shot bows and arrows.

The tongue is there to make sure you pull the string all the way back.

I sometimes stick my tongue out alittle while walking. I usually zone out & daydream while doing that.