Highlights
•  The ability to recognize and interpret emotions is central to social interaction. •  Deficits in social interactions are hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). •  Adolescents with and without ASD completed an emotional face task in MEG. •  MEG data showed atypical neural activity in ASD to both angry and happy faces. •  Insula, cingulate, temporal and orbitofrontal activities were particularly affected in the ASD group.