I was forced to try the referenced Bates method for several years as a child, spending about a half hour a day on it. The experience was not good and the effort would have been much better spent on academics or even sports. After several years my parents changed eye docs, and I got one who would give me real glasses. I remember how awful my mother felt as I tried on the new glasses and exclaimed how amazing it was to be able to see anything at all. Trees have individual leaves, cars have license plates and brands, stores have sales prices posted. It may be possible these exercises work for others, but not for me.

The idea is a lovely one. There is some anecdotal evidence that more time spent outside as a youth reduces the rate of myopia. I don't recall whether the funding was published in science letters or elsewhere but it was an unexpected result of a survey. I see no downside in trying this for my own children, as opposed to my experiment of underpowered glasses and eye exercises. The kids like being out there.