How does a writer know they have put emotion into their work

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I am aspie. And I am wondering if it is possible to tell if a writer has put emotion into the characters of his stories. I have been reading a lot about how to add emotion; and I am uncertain I can achieve it.

When I read my work I sometimes think it has emotion then at other times I think it has no emotion.

How are we supposed to know?

The best advice I can give is what I myself do:

When working on a written piece, write what feels natural to you, and then, once you reach a point where you feel comfortable leaving it, sever yourself from it. Stop working on it, and don't even re-read it for awhile. Once you've taken a good break from it (say, a week or more), come back and read it, not as the author or editor, but just as a reader. Think of it like any other short story or novel you might pick up and read just for fun. If you give yourself some distance, and then approach it as a casual read, you're much more likely to imitate the kind of experience your audience will have, including the emotional reactions. It's the same reason painters stop every so often and back up to see how the painting looks from a few feet away. Otherwise, it's easy to fall into the trap of working too close to your creation, and blinding yourself to the big picture.

I think the best way to gauge the emotion is by how it makes you feel. When you read your writing and it makes you genuinely feel emotion, then it's good. By contrast, sometimes you'll read your writing and think, "I don't feel anything myself, but the writing seems emotional", then that's an indication that it might be lame.

edit: Now that I reread your post, I'm not sure if I answered your question... let me know.