Final answer:
Desensitization should begin with gentle or light touch, building up slowly to more intense tactile stimuli, as it is a process that aims to reduce sensitivity and increase tolerance to touch.
Step-by-step explanation:
When initiating desensitization, it is recommended to begin with gentle or light touch. Desensitization is a process used to decrease an individual's sensitivity to touch, particularly when handling tactile hypersensitivity or hyper-responsiveness in conditions like sensory processing disorder. The receptors involved in the sense of touch, such as mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, and nociceptors, react differently to various stimuli. For example, in response to the question 'To what does nociception respond?', the answer would be injured stimuli, as nociceptors are pain receptors that respond to potentially harmful stimuli that might cause tissue damage. Starting desensitization with a gentle or light touch is less likely to overwhelm the tactile system, allowing for a controlled and gradual increase in tolerance to more intense tactile stimuli.