Having trouble getting Flash 8 and Lectora v9 to pass variables

I have read through the many posts here on how to get Flash 8 to pass variables to Lectora. As with many other users, I need to trigger a Lectora Action which will reveal the "Next" button on a page after the learner has completed a Flash interactivity. I have seen Mark Hemingway's gracious hints all over this board, but they have not helped.

My Flash asset has a primary graphical element, with four subordinate Movie Clips. Each Movie Clip has a button at frame 1 which goes to frame 2 and begins an animation. After each movie clip plays to the end, ideally, I want to add a number (1,2,3 and then 4) to a Lectora Variable and then activate a Lectora Action which checks that variable to see if all four numbers are there, and only then reveals the Next button.

I have tried embedding the ActionScript triggers:

- in the individual Movie Clip timelines

- in the main timeline

- attaching them to the Button clicks

but no matter what I do, absolutely nothing is passing between Lectora and Flash, as evidenced by a few flags which I installed on the Lectora page (clicking a button which displays the contents of the destination Lectora Variable).

I have even tried to replicate this simple online tutorial, and have failed:

edflasher: Lectora/Flash Tips

I could certainly do with an ActionScript lesson or two, but failing to replicate even simple procedures indicates to me that something else may be wrong. Is it possible Flash 8 doesn't support the ActionScript procedures I have been studying here? Or that there is some obstacle between Flash 8 and Lectora v9 which I was not aware existed?

I may have to upload the files to the Lounge next week, but if anyone has any initial suggestions besides "check the forums" (which I have been doing for two days), I would appreciate any guidance!