The term levels of representation refers to degrees of symbolic representation from most concrete to most abstract. For example, to represent a coffee mug, one could show someone an actual coffee mug (most concrete), show them a picture of a coffee mug (less concrete), or say the words coffee mug (abstract). The ways we symbolize objects is an important consideration in education especially with children with communication disorders like autism.

Cued Speech Instruction

Consideration of the level of representation can also be important for Cued Speech instruction. There are advantages and disadvantages to various ways of representing how we cue words.

MOST CONCRETE

Modeling 

• Showing someone how to cue is the most concrete
• Cues appear in three dimensions
• Viewer can move to see cues from various angles
• Provides information about the relationship of the hand to the body
• Shows rhythm, duration, intensity, prominence and facial expression 
• Complex movements of the lips, teeth, tongue are available and synchronized with manual cues.
• Useful information about the transitional movements that occur as the hand moves between cues is also available

Videotape 

• Cues appear in two dimensions which can be problematic for side movements
• Viewer can only view cues from a single angle determine by the camera position
• Provides information about the relationship of the hand to the body
• Shows rhythm, duration, intensity, prominence and facial expression 
• Complex movements of the lips, teeth, tongue are available and synchronized with manual cues.
• Useful information about the transitional movements that occur as the hand moves between cues is also available

Photographs

• Cues appear in two dimensions
• Viewer can only view cues from a single angle determine by the camera position
• The image is static which poses a challenge for showing side movements
• Provides information about the relationship of the hand to the body
• Information on rhythm, duration, intensity, and prominence is not available
• Static representation of facial expression 
• Complex movements of the lips, teeth, tongue are available and synchronized with manual cues.

• Useful information about the transitional movements that occur as the hand moves between cues is unavailable   

Realistic Line Drawings  

• Cues appear in two dimensions
• Viewer can only view cues from a single angle determine by the camera position
• The image is static which poses a challenge for showing side movements
• Provides information about the relationship of the hand to the body
• Information on rhythm, duration, intensity, and prominence is not available
• Static representation of facial expression 
• Complex movements of the lips, teeth, tongue are available and synchronized with manual cues.
• Useful information about the transitional movements that occur as the hand moves between cues is unavailabl

Iconic Line Drawings (with outlines)-

Cuescript-

Cuenotation-

Speech or Signing

MOST ABSTRACT

It is important to note this hierarchy shows level of concreteness and not necessarily best practices for instruction. It is not meant to imply that more concrete is necessarily easier to learn. Often a multi-sensory, combination of representations may be preferred when teaching. For example, in addition to modelling (most concrete), the instructor may wish to provide spoken commentary (least concrete) to provide visual and auditory support to learners (e.g., "Notice how I'm changing handshapes as my hand is moving to the throat.") Instructors and producers of instructional materials may wish to evaluate the levels of representation to be used materials and which the features are available/unavailable to the receiver.