The general objetive of this paper is to better understand emotional expression in people with autism. In the first place, we will focus on the identification of patterns in emotional communication in order to demonstrate that people with autism show emotional communicative intentions but not following the normalized patterns (Alonso, Fernández and Suberviola, 2007). In the second place, we want to correlate patters identified by professionals and families in order to determine if there is a common ground among them. Plutchik (2001) identifies four pairs of Basic emotions -sadness/happiness, acceptance/disgust, fear/anger and anticipation/surprise - plus secondary emotions, resulting from the combinations of the above in different degrees of intensity.

In order to clarify and make known these atypical emotional reactions, we have devised a measurement instrument which will allow us to gather information and work out an answer inventory from people with TEA.

The instrument consists of three different parts:

• a) Personal identification. Data gathering on socio economic and cultural status of the family, schooling, and diagnosis of the person with TEA,

• b) physiological needs that can provoke emotions (for instance, hunger or thirst) and

• c) emotional states (following Plutchik taxonomy), distinguishing verbal and non verbal behaviour and the accompanying facial expressions that are used.

The reliability of the instrument has been assessed by two extensive interjudge tests conducted by a wide number of national and international experts from different professional fields related to TEA: direct attention, advice and support, assessment and diagnosis, and study and research.