Most high functioning aspies can do this. I know smile means happy, frown and tears is sad. Not to make a joke out of it, I can also be affected by other people's expressions. I can feel sad if there is enough expressed sadness, I can laugh quite easily if someone laughs.

Some aspies said to be lower functioning than me can read more emotion than me because they learned what details to look for in someone's face. I just take it in as a whole which actually makes me worse at it, even if I do it the NT way... They might have better compensating skills at this. What I have a problem with is more subtle expressions. When someone expresses something they really don't want to express, or a mixed emotion, or just a vague one I'm lost.

I don't really believe in the basic emotions and their expressions, but if we take them as an example I don't recognize fear and disgust. I see them both as anger or I might think fear is surprise. Also I think all people look grumpy when others say they are neutral.

About empathy... wow LOL. I belong to an Asperger's forum and they pride themselves with having empathy and I think they really do even if it might not come the same path compared to "normal". I'm the odd one out there. I'm not an empath. They feel people like me are wrong somehow, because aspies DO feel empathy LOL. So I guess it depends on which aspie clan you belong to.