Olfaction plays a crucial role in wellbeing and survival. Humans are able to detect and respond to a vast set of olfactory stimuli, coming from different sources. These are informative about the available resources and threats in the environment, while also playing a role in social communication. In fact, human chemosignals communicate critical information about us and our conspecifics, such as the emotional state, modulating social perception and behaviour. On the other hand, common odours (i.e., non-social odours) are also able to influence the way we perceive and interact with the social world. Despite its role in social perception and functioning, olfactory processing is still underexplored in comparison with other sensory modalities, even in conditions where social cognition is altered – as it is the case of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In fact, although some studies have explored olfactory perception in the autism spectrum, the literature is still scarce and/or inconsistent. Furthermore, little is known about the relationship between the expression of autism traits in the general population, associated with distinct features of autism (such as social skills or attention to detail), and olfactory perception. In order to extend the knowledge in the field, we will present the results of a set of studies aiming: 1) to review the available evidence about olfactory perception in ASD and the potential of olfactory cues to be social facilitators in this condition; and 2) to explore the relationship between autism and distinct dimensions of olfactory perception. This research was supported by National Funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), within the William James Center for Research (UIDB/04810/2020); the CINTESIS R&D Unit (UID/IC/4255/2020); and a Doctoral Grant with the ref. SFRH/BD/118244/2016, granted to Filipa Barros.